In the House of Tomorrow
by RukiLex
Summary: Renji and Tatsuki were friends in the Real World before the war. Twelve years later, Tatsuki is a shinigami in the 11th Division. Are there second chances in death? RenjiXTatsuki-because Renji deserves some happiness, too! Romance/angst/comfort/adventure
1. Prologue

**In the House of Tomorrow**

**Mild Spoilers: Set ten years after the war with Hueco Mundo. Assumes knowledge of current manga plot line.**

**Author's Note: Follows the general history/character development in my previous stories, "King's Key: The Four Prongs" and "Empathy," but you don't need to have read those stories to understand this one. RenjiXTatsuki**

**Disclaimers: The story is mine, but the characters belong to and are from the incredible imagination of the manga god Kubo Tite. Thank you, Sensei.**

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_"You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams." –Kahlil Gibran ("On Children")_

Chapter One: Prologue

Even for souls, there are days best forgotten, regrets that linger and cause pain. For Renji Abarai, Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division, there had been only one such day. There had been days of disappointment in love and failure in battle; but these paled in comparison to the one day he had tried hardest to forget.

Disappointment in love had been the easiest to bear. Renji was used to rejection, although he had rarely been rejected. Handsome and charming, he had never had much difficulty meeting women. In fact, his winning smile had, on a number of occasions, resulted in an overabundance of the fairer sex and with that overabundance, complications. Still, that most desirable of all interactions between men and women, true love, had continued to elude him for nearly a century. There were only two women he had ever truly loved, and both, it so happened, had loved other men.

It was Renji's gentle nature which facilitated the loss of Rukia. He had wanted what was best for her. When the Kuchiki clan offered to rescue the former street waif from her life of poverty, Renji had quietly congratulated her and wished her well. He had told himself that she deserved a better life, with a real family. And so, despite his misgivings about her adoption into one of the most powerful Seireitei noble families, Renji had said nothing.

It had been the same when Rukia came to tell him of her first posting to the Real World. Instead of sharing his excitement and pride at the news of his own promotion to vice-captain, Renji had simply smiled and wished her success in her first mission. He often wondered whether things might have been different for them if he had told her how he felt about her. Instead, her heart had been free to love another; a man whom Renji admired and counted among his closest friends.

The only other woman Renji had really loved was Ichigo's sister, Karin. No longer the insecure, newly-minted vice-captain he had been when Rukia had first left for the Real World, Renji had pursued Karin unabashedly. Still, she had fallen in love with someone else. Unselfishly, he had guided them together, knowing what he was losing. Because it was right. Because he had loved her that much. Enough to let her go.

In truth, Renji had never truly failed at any task related to his work, so there was little about which to be disappointed. He was good; one of the strongest shinigami in the Gotei Thirteen. Still, he had never succeeded in besting the one man who, above all others, he longed to defeat.

Despite the offers of promotion which came from time to time, Renji had chosen to remain at the Sixth Division, vice-captain to Byakuya Kuchiki. It was his obsession, to one day conquer the man whose cool demeanor and powerful bankai were the stuff of legend. Still, rather than weigh on him, his painful defeat at the hands of his superior had strengthened Renji's resolve to become stronger. No, despite the pain of loss, both in love and in battle, Renji had only one regret, one day that he longed to forget: the day he had finally found his mother in the Soul Society.

Renji had died as a child in Okinawa, in a car accident. He had been four years old. His mother, injured in the same accident, had died several hours later. Though fortunate enough to find his way to the Soul Society, Renji had longed for his mother. Alone and hungry in the Rukongai, he had begun to search for her after hearing of the arrival of a woman with red hair, who looked so much like him, and who had also died in Okinawa in a car accident. The other children who lived in the squalid, abandoned warehouse did not understand why the little red-headed boy kept asking about his mother. They had long since forgotten their loved ones, and had come to see each other as family.

As an adult, Renji learned that most souls entering the Soul Society quickly lost their memories of their prior lives; a process which made it easier for souls to transition from life to death. Only souls possessing particularly powerful spirit energy, or reiatsu, were likely to retain any memories from their lives in the Real World. It was, for most, a blessing to forget. Life in the Real World went on without them, and their lives in the spirit world began without encumbrances.

The Soul Society had no formal laws regarding contact with souls from one's prior life. At first blush, the lack of legislation on the subject, in a society that was so highly regulated, might have seemed surprising. The reality, however, was that most of the souls who possessed memories of the past knew better than to search for their lost loved ones. It was simply too painful to find those you loved; a lesson Renji learned at an early age.

Renji's mother had been beautiful, full of life and happiness. Renji had been her pride and joy, the spitting image of his father. Like most young boys of his age, Renji worshipped the ground his mother walked on, and looked to her for protection and comfort. Their small family had not been wealthy, but Renji had never lacked for anything, least of all love. And so, when he found himself alone, alongside the wreckage of their small car, he had been frightened.

A young man dressed in a strange black costume had found Renji at the side of the road, crying. The young man had looked at him with sympathetic eyes, and gently touched his forehead with the hilt of a sword like those in the old samurai movies his grandfather used to watch. Renji's small body had felt light as air, and he remembered laughing with excitement as he flew up into the clouds like a bird, chasing a black butterfly.

Five years later, little of the joy of that day remained. Renji, now nearly ten years old, had been living on the streets with the other Rukongai children, stealing food from vendors in the main marketplace, and sleeping on the floor of the warehouse. It was later that same year that Renji met Rukia, and the two had become inseparable. Like brother and sister.

In those five years, Renji had neither forgotten his mother nor had he given up on one day finding her and being reunited with her. One day, a friend told Renji about a beautiful red-haired woman who lived in an area of the Rukongai nearly a day's walk from Hanging Dog and looked remarkably like Renji. Determined, Renji had packed the meager belongings he had, grabbed an apple from a street vendor, and headed out to find her. He didn't care that he had to sleep under boxes that night, he knew that, soon, he would be with her. Happy and safe again by her side.

It was mid-afternoon when Renji arrived in the place where the red-headed woman lived. It was one of the better Rukongai neighborhoods, with tiny homes lined up in straight rows, flowers growing in window boxes and neatly-tended yards. He walked behind the houses, afraid to attract too much attention and risk being run off by adults who might not take kindly to the sight of a dirty street urchin.

As he walked over the grass, he saw a young woman, her back to him, red hair cascading down her back. She bent down to pick up a piece of wet laundry from a wicker basket, lifting it up onto a line strung between two small trees and clipping it into place. There was no question but that it was his mother. He walked over to her, and she turned towards him as she heard the sound of his footsteps on the paving stones by the house.

"Mom?" he said, in a small voice, trying to contain his excitement and relief at having finally found her. She turned to look at him and smiled.

"Hello," she said, looking directly at him. "What can I do for you, young man?"

"Mom," he repeated, his voice stronger this time. "It's me, Mom. Renji."

"I think you must have mistaken me for someone else," she said. There was no hint of recognition in her eyes. "I don't have any children. I'm sorry."

"Mom," he said again, and this time, his voice trembled, as tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over, "don't you remember me? I'm Renji, Mom. I've been looking for you. Please, Mom, tell me you remember me."

She looked back at him, her eyes sad. "I'm so sorry," she said, "but I'm sure I'd never forget I had a son. I'm not the person you're looking for." And, with that, she picked up the empty basket and headed back towards the house, glancing back at him once before opening up the door and stepping inside.

He ran after her, pounding on the door, desperate, now crying openly. "Mom, please," he begged, "I miss you." She opened the door and looked at him, no longer smiling.

"I'm sorry, child," she said, and he could see fear in her eyes, "I cannot help you. Please leave now. I do not wish any trouble for you." He stood silently, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand.

"Please," she said again, "leave, and don't come back here." He opened his mouth to say something, but she closed the door in his face. He banged on the door for several minutes, but she did not open it again.

Renji slept outside the little house that night, hidden underneath a tree. In the morning, Renji again knocked on the door. This time, however, it was a man who answered. "She is not your mother any more, child," said the man. "She has forgotten you. She does not understand. Please. If you love her, please leave her alone. Leave her in peace."

And so that day, for the first time in his life, but certainly not the last, Renji walked away from something he wanted desperately. Because it was right. Because her loved her that much. Enough to let her go.


	2. Reconnaissance

_"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul." -Oscar Wilde (__The Picture of Dorian Gray__)_

Chapter Two: Reconnaissance

It was another bar night in the Rukongai. Renji had lost count of how many times he had met Ikkaku or Rangiku here in the past month. It was becoming a comfortable habit.

He had been released from Fourth Division's hospital nearly three weeks ago but, although his physical wounds had healed, he was still smarting over the loss of Karin. Since the battle at the Academy, he had visited her only once, but he had seen her several times on the Seireitei streets in the company of a certain silver-haired shinigami captain. Each time he had seen her, she had seemed to glow. She was happy, he told himself, and he should be glad for that.

Sake had, yet again, served to dull the heartache. Add to that the occasional barroom fight, and life would be good again. Time to forget and move on to new opportunities.

"Renji, come join us!" Matsumoto called, laughing musically and kicking up her legs. She sat on the bar, sake bottle in one hand, her other hand on the shoulder of Madarame Ikkaku. Renji grabbed a bottle from behind the bar and sat down next to Ikkaku on one of the barstools.

"Started without me, eh?" he said, opening the bottle.

"You'll catch up soon enough," said Rangiku, laughing again and taking a huge swig from the bottle in her hand. Renji followed suit and handed his bottle over to Ikkaku.

"Loud in here tonight," remarked Renji, as Ikkaku chugged down sake.

"New recruits," said Ikkaku, grinning. "Ours."

"New practice dummies for the Eleventh," laughed Renji, noting the gleam in Ikkaku's eyes. "I miss that place sometimes."

"Zaraki-taicho would be more than happy to have you back. Might even let you in on the action," said Ikkaku, in all seriousness. "I've heard there are a few feisty ones in this new lot."

"And which Eleventh Division recruits are tame?" asked Rangiku, throwing back her head and sending her hair flying off her face. "They send all the Academy troublemakers your way."

Renji grabbed the bottle back from Ikkaku. The sound of breaking glass was heard over the din, and a loud cheer erupted from the back of the bar where the Eleventh Division recruits sat. After the noise died down a bit, Renji asked Rangiku, "So, how's the Ice Captain?"

"You mean, how is Karin," replied Matsumoto, not missing a beat. Renji said nothing. "She's fine. Happy."

"You blew it Abarai," laughed Ikkaku, taking the bottle back from Renji. "Dumb ass."

"He did the right thing, idiot" said Matsumoto, kicking Ikkaku hard in the side. "What would you know about it?" Renji motioned to the bartender for another bottle, ignoring them both.

"Saw you with that little Fourth Division hottie the other day," said Ikkaku, grinning lecherously, "looks like your broken heart recovered quickly enough. What's her name? Akiko?"

"Akemi."

"Right. So?"

"So nothing, Ikkaku," replied Renji. "She's nice."

"Nice?" laughed Ikkaku. "You've definitely been at the Sixth too long. Bunch of uptight snobs."

"Better than the screw-ups at the Eleventh. Like you'd even know what a real woman was," replied Renji, eyes narrowed.

Matsumoto rolled her eyes. _"It's time,"_ she thought, sighing. _"Boys will be boys."_ It had been a while since the last bar fight.

"At least at the Eleventh, we don't spend all day doing fucking drills. We actually fight." Ikkaku was salivating now.

"You looking for a fight?" asked Renji, his eyes sparkling in anticipation. The sake had done its job. He felt invincible. "As if you Eleventh Division bastards even know how to fight."

Ikkaku stood up. The bar stool he had been sitting on fell to the floor with a crash. Several of the shinigami seated nearby turned to see what the commotion was. "I'll show you how the Eleventh fight!" yelled Ikkaku, swaying slightly on his feet and drawing his zanpakuto. There was mumbling and noise from the Eleventh Division recruits at the back of the bar. Several of them stood up and moved towards Renji and Ikkaku. Rangiku grabbed her bottle of sake and moved off to the side, out of the line of fire. "Grow, Houzukimaru!"

Renji met the tip of Ikkaku's spear with his blade, and the sound of metal upon metal reverberated throughout the bar. "Howl, Zabimaru!" he yelled, releasing his zanpakuto and swinging it in wide arc. By now, all the nearby shinigami had retreated to a safe distance from the two men, with the exception of the Eleventh Division recruits, who had pushed their way in front of the retreating shinigami to get a better view of the fight.

Ikkaku leapt into the air to avoid Renji's swing, hopping up atop the bar and knocking over a number of bottles and glasses in the process. He twirled Houzukimaru around like a baton, forcing Renji to back away towards the wall behind him. The tip of Ikkaku's blade missed Renji's face by an inch. Renji was now backed up against the wall with no room to maneuver.

"Damn," spat Renji, looking around for an opening. Fortunately, he didn't have to look far. From over Ikkaku's shoulder, two Sixth Division shinigami charged into the fray, followed by several of the Eleventh Division recruits.

Ikkaku, momentarily surprised by the onslaught of eager shinigami, swung at Renji and missed, hitting a window and shattering it instantly. Renji launched Zabimaru towards Ikkaku but instead hit the ceiling, cutting into the plaster, which flew in all directions like snow in a blizzard. Ikkaku swung Houzukimaru again, this time creating an opening in the wall where Renji had once stood. Several shinigami ran through the newly-minted opening and Renji followed them out into the empty Rukongai street, where he'd be better positioned to use his weapon to its fullest abilities. Ikkaku followed.

No longer confined to the small bar, Renji launched Zabimaru skyward and it flew, extending as it moved, towards Ikkaku. Ikkaku smiled broadly and flung his weapon towards Renji as he moved to dodge the attack. Houzukimaru hit its mark, and Renji felt a stab of pain in his shoulder.

"You're losing your touch, Abarai," jeered Ikkaku as Renji swore under his breath. "You always do when you lose the girl. You're soft."

Renji growled in annoyance and threw Zabimaru again. Ikkaku deftly countered the attack by stepping back several feet and ducking at the last moment. Renji's zanpakuto hit the already damaged wall of the building, and the rest of the wall crumbled into a cloud of bricks and dust. The shinigami who fought inside spilled out onto the street.

"Hit a nerve?" taunted Ikkaku, grinning broadly and swinging his weapon again. This time, Renji was ready. He swung Zabimaru in a wide circle around where Ikkaku stood and then, as the circle was nearly complete, pulled back on the hilt of his weapon. His legs wrenched from underneath him, Ikkaku fell hard onto the dusty street, where he lay, face up, laughing and coughing intermittently.

"That makes us even, Ikkaku," Renji laughed, wiping the dust from his face. "You paying for the next round?"

"In your dreams, Abarai," Ikkaku said, getting to his feet and putting his weapon away. "Besides," he added, gesturing towards what had once been the bar, "it doesn't look like there are any tables available." Renji sheathed his zanpakuto, looking around to find Rangiku, who had all but vanished in the melee. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Rangiku," Renji started to say, turning around, "I think we…" But any thought as to where they might look for more sake was replaced by the pain of a hard fist as it met the side of his face. The force of the blow knocked him off his feet. He landed, face down on the street, his head spinning slightly from the punch and the sake. Everything was blurry.

"Damn," he said, rubbing his chin and sitting up, "that hurt."

"Nothing your sorry ass didn't deserve," came a woman's voice from overhead.

"_A woman?"_ he thought. _"She packs one hell of a mean punch." _Renji rubbed his eyes, willing her face into focus. He stood up slowly, one hand leaning on what was left of the brick wall for support. He stood facing her, squinting slightly. Gradually, his hazy vision began to clear.

She was nearly his height, attractive, with dark eyes and pale skin, wearing a black shihakushou, zanpakuto at her side. Her shoulder-length black hair was layered, sticking out in random places like so many small spikes. She frowned at him, eyes narrowed, clearly ready to fight.

Her face reminded Renji of someone he had known years ago. He stared at her, willing himself to remember where he had seen her before. And then it came to him, the realization almost as jarring as the impact of her fist on his chin. It wasn't just that she reminded him of someone; he knew that face. He was sure of it. He looked at her with an expression of shock and surprise.

"Arisawa Tatsuki?" he said, trying to make sense of things.

"Yeah," she said, looking back at him like he had lost his mind. "And who the hell are you?"


	3. Truth

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**A/N: For purposes of this story, Renji's history/first meeting with Tatsuki will follow canon in the manga (Chapter 195), not in the anime.**

"We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth." -George Bernard Shaw

Chapter Three: Truth

**Twelve years before****….**

"Who the hell are you?" Tatsuki demanded of the red-haired punk who sat down beside her in third period. Tatsuki was worried about Ichigo and Inoue. It was hardly the first time. Since the day the Rukia Girl had walked into their classroom, nearly three months ago, Tatsuki had felt ill at ease; on edge.

Orihime had shown up at school yesterday, covered in bandages. When she had asked what had happened, Orihime told Tatsuki she had fallen down the stairs, smiled uncomfortably and then looked away. It was a reaction Tatsuki was getting used to. And Tatsuki, despite her bravado, would never push the issue with Orihime. Tatsuki, herself, was starting to remember the events of two days before. She had no doubt that Orihime's injuries and her own experiences were connected. She was sure of it. _'Her spirit is on the verge of breaking just being close to you,' _the small man with the bright green eyes had said. It was coming back to her, like a bad dream.

Then, they had arrived: the new transfer students. And they could hardly have been a stranger looking group: the little white-haired kid; the skinhead with crazy eyes; the black-haired eighties video reject; the woman whose uniform top was so small, her breasts threatened to transform buttons into projectile weapons; and the street punk with bright red hair and tattoos worthy of some sci fi flick. Especially now that the Rukia Girl had returned, Tatsuki was convinced that the bizarre transfer students were connected to all of the strange events. She _sensed_ it. And she was tired of feeling like an overprotective mother hen to Orihime – it simply did not suit her.

"Abarai Renji," said the street-punk, putting his feet up on the small desk and tipping his chair back. "Arisawa Tatsuki, right? Ichigo says you're pretty tough."

"How do you know Ichigo?" she asked, staring him down.

"Eh…we're…cousins," he stammered, clearly unprepared for the question.

"Right," she said, sarcastically. "Where from?"

"Okinawa," he said, without hesitation. She raised an eyebrow. He was telling the truth – she knew it, instinctively. But there was something more, something he was not telling her, she was sure of that, as well.

"How long are you staying?"

"Dunno," he said, smirking. "Long as I need to. What's it to you?" He was baiting her now.

She took the bait consciously, curious to see how he'd react. "I know why you're here," she said, her face impassive.

"Yeah?"

"Yep. Because of _them._ The two men in the park the other day. The men who murdered all those people." She watched him carefully.

"I heard it was a meteor that killed them," he replied evenly.

"You know that's a lie, Abarai. The big man sucked out their souls. I felt it." This time, pay dirt. Tatsuki saw a flicker of something – surprise, perhaps – in his eyes. She pounced. "I know about Ichigo, Abarai, and about Inoue," she said, turning towards the window and looking out.

Renji opened his mouth as if to say something, but at that moment, the teacher began to take the class roll. _"I'm not done with you yet,"_ thought Tatsuki with a hint of a smile.

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Renji nearly ran out the front door of the school that afternoon. Studying Kido theory was one thing, but studying calculus was quite another. He had fought bravely to keep his eyes open through the hour-long class, and he was just about to jump out of his gigai with restless energy. It had been Hitsugaya's idea that they all attend Ichigo's school. _"Damn brat," _he thought as he flew out of the school gate. _"Does he think the Arrancar care about modern Japanese literature?"_

As he rounded the corner and headed down a small street on his way to Urahara's shop, he saw her, the spiky-haired tomboy from class. She was leaning against the wall of one of the houses. She had been waiting for him.

"You don't give up easily, do you?" he said, sticking his hands in his pockets and stopping in front of her.

"Never," she said. He was starting to enjoy playing her little game. He hopped up onto the wall, but said nothing.

"I know about Ichigo. How he kills those…things."

"Hollows," he said casually.

"Hollows," she repeated, slightly surprised. It felt strange to have a name for them, after so long. She looked at Renji. When he did not continue, she said, "I know that Ichigo, Orihime, Chad and Uryuu went after Rukia."

"So?"

"So they weren't in Japan," she said, her face impassive. "I don't think they were anywhere normal people can go."

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"I could _feel_ it," she said, looking for his reaction. He raised an eyebrow. "I can see… hollows. I couldn't always. At first, they were just hazy things, like when hot air meets cold. But since the day Orihime fought that hollow at the school…" Her voice trailed off, as she remembered.

"_I couldn't defend her,"_ she thought, the memory of her defeat still fresh in her mind, despite the intervening months. _"Orihime had to rescue me. I was too weak."_

"The Soul Society," he said, after a minute, studying her expression.

"Huh?"

"They went to the Soul Society to rescue Rukia," said Renji, throwing caution to the wind. _"What the hell," _he thought, _"she's going to find out soon enough even if I don't tell her."_

"The Soul Society?" she asked, looking up at him.

"It's the place where souls go after death."

"You're from there, aren't you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," he said, now grinning just a bit. He was proud of what he did, and he found himself enjoying telling someone. "We're shinigami. Soul reapers. We help souls pass on to the Soul Society and we protect the Real World from hollows."

"Ichigo's a shinigami," she said, almost immediately. Renji nodded. "Why the hell didn't he tell me?" She was livid now. Ichigo was her friend. She deserved to know.

"It's complicated," said Renji, sensing her anger.

"Right." She wouldn't forgive Ichigo that easily. "So why _are_ you here, really?"

"Those two men you saw," he said, "they're hollows, too."

And so it came about that he told her; about Aizen, about the Arrancar, and about the impending war. He figured she deserved to know. It was a decision he would come to regret.


	4. Complications

"_When your soul quits taking refuge in the pretenses and stops being a fugitive from Spirit, it will catch on fire and serve as a beacon lighting the way to your calling, your destiny, to being completely and entirely you." -John Renesch _

Chapter Four: Complications

**Present day:**

"Abarai fukutaicho, Sixth Division," he said, still rubbing his chin where she had punched him.

"Now I'm sure you deserved it," she said, laughing.

"Nice punch, Arisawa," said Ikkaku, walking up behind her, chuckling. "Pineapple head here can always use a little more pounding."

"So how do you know my name, Abarai fukutaicho?" asked Tatsuki, looking at Renji with suspicion. Renji turned to Ikkaku for the answer to his unspoken question, but Ikkaku looked away.

"I…ah…Ikkaku told me about you," answered Renji, turning back to her and stammering slightly. He had never been good at lies.

"Right," she said, raising an eyebrow and frowning again. "Abarai. Renji, isn't it?" He nodded. "I saw you at a demonstration a few years ago at the Academy. You fight better when you're not drunk," she said, laughing to herself and smiling. Renji's ears reddened slightly.

"It's more fun when you're drunk, though," he said, his grin reminiscent of a small boy's.

"I'll have to try that sometime," she said with a smile. "Stop by the Eleventh when you've got some free time and we can finish this, Abarai fukutaicho. You bring the sake."

She turned to leave. "Oh, and Abarai," she said over her shoulder, "when I beat you, maybe you'll tell me the truth about how you knew my name." And, with a laugh, she headed down the street and out of sight, leaving Renji and Ikkaku standing there.

Renji turned to Ikkaku, but before he could speak, Ikkaku said, "Yes, she is Arisawa Tatsuki and no, she doesn't remember."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Renji.

"What difference would it have made?" Ikkaku answered. "She doesn't remember anything, Abarai." His face was uncharacteristically serious.

"You should have told me," said Renji, a small muscle in his face twitching as he spoke.

"So you could beat yourself up about it again? Dumb-ass. It wasn't your fault," said Ikkaku. "You're becoming more and more like Kurosaki, you know. Self-flagellating dumb-asses."

"What do you know about her?" asked Renji.

"Only that she's from the Rukongai and just graduated from the Academy. She's been with the Eleventh for two months now," answered Ikkaku. "She's pretty strong. Twelfth Seat."

"Sounds like Tatsuki," said Renji, grinning in spite of himself.

"Yeah, well she's not the same Tatsuki. She's not the same person you knew."

Renji was silent.

"Let's get out of here," said Ikkaku. "If I have to look at your sorry face one minute more, I'm going to have to kill you."

************************

Two hours later, and Renji was sitting on the floor of his quarters, a half-empty sake bottle next to him. There was a knock on the door.

"Yeah," he said, not looking up.

"Thought I'd find you here," said Matsumoto.

"There was no bar to go back to," he laughed. "How come you never join in the fun?"

"My definition of fun doesn't include destroying buildings in the Rukongai. I leave that to you boys to take care of."

"I'll remember that the next time you try to drag me shopping with you in the Real World," he said. She pulled a full bottle of sake out of her shihakushou.

"So you found out about Tatsuki," she said, sitting down next to him on the floor. He said nothing. "You had to know she was here, somewhere."

"I didn't think I'd run into her."

"Most of us have had that happen," said Matsumoto, picking up the bottle and taking a swig. "This your first time?"

"Second," he said, picking up his own bottle. From his expression, she knew better than to ask him about the first time.

"So, what happened between you and Tatsuki in the Real World?" she asked after a pause. "You never told me."

"Nothing," he said. "We were friends."

"Just friends?" asked Matsumoto, not even attempting to hide her skepticism.

"There wasn't time for more than that," replied Renji as he swallowed a mouthful of sake. She laughed, a hearty, musical laugh that filled the room. "Why are you laughing?" he asked with a hiccup.

"Nothing," she said, smiling. "Except I've seen that look on your face before, Renji. You're still attracted to her."

"Was attracted to her," he corrected. "She doesn't remember me at all."

"Then this is an opportunity to start from scratch," she said, laughing again. And with that, she stood up and walked out of the room, smiling. It was two days later that Renji realized exactly why Matsumoto had been smiling when she left his room that night.

**************************

The sun was starting to set. Renji had fallen asleep. The pile of paperwork on his desk had been starting to decrease in size, but he had been having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "Just a few minutes," he had told himself, putting his feet up on the desk and leaning back in his chair. Two hours later, and he was still sound asleep, mouth wide open, head lolling to one side as he snored softly.

"Abarai fukutaicho!"

Renji awoke with a start and, as he did so, the chair he was sitting in, which had been precariously perched on two legs, fell backward. He landed with a thud on the floor. "Damn," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Can't you cut me a break, Matsumoto?"

She laughed. "That wouldn't be any fun. Besides, you said you'd join me and Ikkaku for dinner tonight, remember?"

"Eh," he said, getting to his feet and wincing slightly.

"You should be glad I was the one who woke you up," she said, trying to keep a straight face. "I'm sure Kuchiki taicho would have been impressed with your hard work."

He stood up and scowled at her. "Like you're such a hard worker. And since when do you come here to remind me about meeting you for dinner?" he asked, suspiciously.

She shrugged her shoulders and laughed again, "I was delivering assignments for interdivisional patrols to Kuchiki-taicho."

Matsumoto's explanation of why she was at the Sixth made sense to Renji, and he breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't up to something - he knew the patrol assignments were due this week. Since the latest skirmish with the Arrancar, the Captain-Commander had begun to assign patrol detachments to the largely uninhabited hills and mountains beyond the Rukongai. Gotei Thirteen squads had developed a rotation of troops who were assigned to four-person interdivisional squads. Each squad was made up of two pair of shinigami from different divisions. The Captain-Commander believed this cross-pollination would be a positive step towards better communication. The program had, so far, been relatively successful, other than the occasional fight between shinigami from rival divisions.

"Okay," said Renji, as he picked up the papers that had fallen onto the floor and deposited them back on his desk, "I'm not getting anything done anyhow."

It was a short walk from the Sixth Division to the small sushi restaurant they often ate at during the week. It was still early, but most of the tables were already full of shinigami. Matsumoto and Renji made their way to the back of the restaurant, weaving in between tables until they came to a table in the corner, not far from the bar. Ikkaku was seated at the table, but he was not alone.

"Matsumoto," said Renji, reprovingly, "what are you up to?"

"Ikkaku invited her to join us," she replied, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Who was I to tell him she couldn't come?" Renji shook his head and sighed deeply.

"One of these days, Matsumoto…"

"Tatsuki," said Matsumoto, interrupting Renji, "I'm glad you could join us."

"Thanks for asking me." said Tatsuki. "Abarai fukutaicho, good to see you again. What a coincidence."

"No coincidence," said Renji, glaring at Ikkaku and Matsumoto and sitting down. Tatsuki raised her eyebrows slightly, laughing to herself and pouring a round of sake.

"Ikkaku," said Matsumoto, grabbing Ikkaku's arm and pulling him out of his seat, "I wanted to talk to you about an idea I had for next month's patrol assignments. Why don't you join me at the bar for a few minutes." Ikkaku rolled his eyes at Renji and followed Matsumoto away from the table.

"Subtle as a tsunami, isn't she?" said Renji. Tatsuki handed him a cup of sake.

"Do you mind?" asked Tatsuki, smiling.

"No," said Renji, returning her smile and downing the sake in one gulp. "I can't say I wasn't curious about you."

"The feeling is mutual," she said, pouring them another round. "I've heard a lot about you." Renji looked slightly uncomfortable. "Nothing bad, of course," she laughed, "although why you'd want to hang out with those Sixth Division idiots after having been Sixth Seat at the Eleventh Division, I'll never understand." He looked at her for a moment, surprised.

"I'm joking, Abarai," she said, laughing again. He laughed and shook his head slightly. "You always this nervous?"

"Only when I haven't had enough sake," he said, taking another drink. It was not far from the truth, and he downed a few more cups in quick succession. She was definitely not the same person he remembered - the Tatsuki he had known in the Real World had never been shy, but she had hardly been this comfortable around men.

"Listen," she said, leaning in towards him slightly, "you mind if we take a walk?" His look of surprise was not lost on her. "I don't mind being set up, but I don't like being on display, either." She gestured in the direction of the bar. Matsumoto and Ikkaku were sitting there, and Renji swore he saw Matsumoto turn her head quickly away to avoid his eyes.

"You're good," he said, grabbing the sake bottle.

"I know people," Tatsuki replied, grinning and standing up. "It's a talent I have."

"Should I be worried?" asked Renji. He took a swig from the sake bottle and passed it to her.

"Nah," she said, as they walked out the door of the restaurant. "I've only killed a few people I didn't like."

*************************************

It was morning. Renji blinked his eyes as the sunlight flooded in the window. He was in his quarters, naked in his bed. His head hurt. _"Too much sake,"_ he thought, resolving not to drink so much the night before he was supposed to be on duty. The light hurt his eyes, and he rolled over and groaned.

There was someone lying next to him. _"Shit,"_ he thought, looking at the naked woman with the spiky dark hair, _"what the hell was I thinking."_


	5. Battlegrounds

_"It is the stretched soul that makes music, and souls are stretched by the pull of opposites --opposite bents, tastes, yearnings, loyalties. Where there is no polarity --where energies flow smoothly in one direction --there will be much doing but no music." – Eric Hoffer_

Chapter Five: Battlegrounds

Renji looked at the naked woman lying next to him and blinked his eyes hard, trying to remember the events of the prior evening through the lingering haze of sake. He remembered leaving the restaurant with her. He had brought a bottle of sake along with them and they had drunk it as they walked through the Seireitei streets. She had laughed at his stupid jokes and even offered a few of her own. He had invited her to his quarters for tea. They had finished a second bottle of sake between the two of them – the tea left unmade. The sake, and her casual and comfortable manner, had put him at ease. They had sat on the floor, laughing and drinking for what felt like hours.

She definitely was not the Tatsuki he remembered. True, there were hints of the teenage Tatsuki in her manner. She was still confident, strong, and independent. Gone, however, was the overly protective and serious Tatsuki. The woman he saw before him was carefree and uninhibited. _"She had the weight of the world on her shoulders, back then,"_ he thought, watching her laugh and gulp down sake straight from the bottle. _"Is this who she would have been, without Inoue and Kurosaki, without the hollows?"_

"Why the long face, all of a sudden?" she had asked him. "Something bothering you?"

"No," he had said, grabbing the bottle of sake from her playfully, "it's nothing." For a split second, he thought he had seen a hint of something – curiosity perhaps – in her eyes, but then it was gone, replaced by a look of hunger that had nothing to do with the sushi they had neglected to eat at the restaurant.

"Kiss me," she had said, laughing softly. "I want to see what a vice-captain tastes like." He was too drunk to see the harm in it, and he had grabbed her and kissed her, tossing the now-empty sake bottle aside. He wasn't sure about vice-captains, but she tasted good. Her mouth explored his, and he felt his heart beat faster as he untied the sash at her waist and felt the softness of her bare skin under his fingers.

"_She's not the same Tatsuki," _he had thought, as she undressed him and pushed him back onto the floor. Again, he found himself transported to the past, remembering her then. He wondered how it might have been if there had been a similar opportunity for them, years before.

"Look at me," she had demanded, drawing him back into the present, as she ran her hands over his bare chest. He had obliged, taking in the curves of her body, lit now only by the moonlight coming in from the window. He had never realized how fully female she was, having always seen her as the quintessential tomboy, always ready for a fight. She was no boy. It had been far too long since he had been with a woman, and his body had acted of its own accord.

He had pulled her down on top of him and explored her curves with his hands, feeling the powerful muscles of her arms underneath the soft, feminine skin. She was enticing, overwhelming, intoxicating. All thoughts of past and present fled his mind, as he gave in to the intense pleasure of her. Sex with her was like battle – each move a piece of a choreographed dance where control was passed from one combatant to the other until a stalemate was reached - and the pleasure he took from it was as great as any battle he had fought.

Now, in the bright morning sun, Renji closed his eyes again and fought the urge to resume the hostilities. He felt her move next to him and opened his eyes. "I've got to go," she said, standing up, unconcerned with her nakedness. She picked up the pieces of uniform which were scattered over the floor and quickly put them on. "See you around, Abarai fukutaicho," she said, as she ran her hand through her hair, smoothing down the spikiest bits. She was gone before he could even think of what to say.

As he lay there, where she had left him, Renji tried to make sense of what had just happened between them, why she had left so suddenly. And he knew that, regardless of what the night had meant to her, he _would _see her again. He would make sure of it.

*********************************

Three days later, Renji stood at the door to her quarters, bottle of sake in hand, having confirmed with Ikkaku that this was Tatsuki's day off. The information had come relatively cheap. Ikkaku had raised an eyebrow and said, "Glad you're done with the self-flagellation." Renji had scowled, but said nothing - better to fall on his sword for the greater good.

He knocked on her door. A few seconds later, she stood in the doorframe, looking at him with mild amusement. He held out the bottle of sake and grinned. "I thought we'd save this for after our rematch," he said.

"Took you long enough," she said, straight-faced, "I was beginning to think you were scared of losing to me. I wouldn't call it a rematch, though – you were too pathetic and drunk at the bar for me to kill you."

Twenty minutes later, they were standing in the middle of Urahara's old practice grounds, hidden in a cave under Sogyoku Hill. "Nice place," Tatsuki said, looking around eagerly. "Keeping it a secret?"

He laughed. "Enough talking, Tatsuki," he said, "or I'm going to start thinking you're afraid to fight me."

Her response was a swift kick aimed at his side, which he neatly sidestepped and countered with a blow to her shoulder using the side of his hand. "You definitely are faster when you're not drunk," she laughed, "but you're the one who should be afraid, Abarai." And, as she said this, she jumped high into the air and spun around, her foot connecting with the side of his face.

"_Damn_," he thought, as he retreated backwards to avoid her other foot, _"she's faster than I remember."_ She came at him again from the air, this time with her knee. Anticipating her move, he reached out and grabbed her arm, throwing her off balance as she flew and using his foot to trip her. She landed on the ground with a resounding thud.

"And I thought you were nothing without your zanpakuto," she laughed as she got quickly back to her feet. This time, she ran straight for him and he moved out of the way using shunpo. She had clearly anticipated this response, because she stopped just short of where he had stood and landed her foot in the center of his back, knocking him to the ground. He laughed and got back to his feet, this time aiming his elbow at her side. She fell to the ground to avoid the hit, rolling quickly over and back onto her feet. "Nice move," she said, slightly out of breath.

He smiled, hopped up on one of the boulders scattered about and drew his zanpakuto. "No more kid stuff," he said, looking down at her, "let's see what they taught you at the Academy."

She unsheathed her weapon, a simple zanpakuto with a traditional handle covered in woven black material. It glinted in the artificial light as she jumped up into the air and stood there, feet away from him. With equally broad smiles, they flew at each other, weapons parallel to the ground. Their blades met with a loud clanking sound, zanpakutos now pointing skyward, and wrists touching. They used their free hands to push away from each other, flying backwards so that they now stood about thirty feet apart, five feet or so above the ground.

She swung her weapon at his head and he ducked, turning around and coming up behind her. She turned just in time to meet his blade with hers, and metal again connected with metal. The sound of the blades reverberated throughout the practice grounds as each shinigami, using shunpo, moved about the grounds, alternately the pursuer and the pursued. _"Time to step up the game," _thought Renji, curious to see what her shikai might look like. "Howl, Zabimaru!" he yelled, releasing his zanpakuto. He swung his weapon in a wide arc, its many blades undulating in the air like a snake.

Tatsuki laughed, a deep, throaty laugh. "Minoru, rise up!" she shouted, holding her zanpakuto parallel to the ground, and covering her right hand with her left on its hilt. The blade of her zanpakuto glowed red, and it now resembled a trident – each of its three blades moving like fiery liquid metal.

Zabimaru's many blades flew towards Tatsuki, but she did not move from the spot. Instead, she let go with her left hand and, rotating her right elbow, swung her zanpakuto around in tight circles. From the tips of the three blades, small flames issued, growing in size as Tatsuki continued to turn her elbow. Zabimaru hit the flames, which were now nearly a foot in length, and there was a loud screeching sound as the two zanpakutos met.

Renji pulled his weapon away from Tatsuki, and as the blades returned to their master, he could see that a number of the sections were blackened from the flames. At first, he was unconcerned. What effect did fire have upon the strongest metal? But then he noticed that, where the fire had touched the metal sections, the blade no longer flew cleanly through the air; there was a slight instability that made the blades shudder as they returned.

"_She's able to use the fire to change the structure of the metal,"_ he thought incredulously. "Not bad, Arisawa," he said, shaking his head. She smiled, clearly pleased with herself. Renji placed both of his hands on the hilt of his weapon and focused his reiatsu on the blades. Steam rose from the damaged sections and, when it stopped, the blades were shiny and whole.

Renji again swung Zabimaru over his head and Tatsuki again stood where she was, anticipating the attack. This time, however, Renji purposely aimed over Tatsuki's head, forcing her back down onto the ground to avoid being hit. Before she had time to reposition herself to avoid his second attack, Renji had swung Zabimaru lower, this time aiming for Tatsuki's shoulders. She had no time to move, instead forced to defend the attack head-on. But, instead of using her zanpakuto to deflect Renji's weapon, she instead raised her arms in front of her, palms out, and focused her reiatsu at the oncoming blades.

"Purotekuto!" she yelled, and a bright orange wall of energy grew in front of her palms. Just as Zabimaru's blades looked as though they would hit her hands, Renji's zanpakuto bounced off the orange light, sending the blades back towards their owner.

"_I know that attack,"_ he thought, with a slight shock, _"I taught it to her. Twelve years ago."_

"Not too shabby, eh, Abarai?" she laughed, her arms now back at her sides. Renji said nothing; he was too surprised to think clearly. Realizing that she had him at a disadvantage, she again pointed her zanpakuto at him. Too slow, Renji swung Zabimaru in a defensive position, trying to deflect the stream of flames that burst from the end of her weapon. Although only hit with a small fraction of her attack, Renji was thrown backwards several feet and his zanpakuto flew through the air, landing on the other side of a group of boulders and rocks. She stood over him, her blade, now back in its original form, pointed at his heart.

"You let me win," she said, frowning.

"No," he said, looking up at her, "I lost. I was…distracted."

She laughed again. "You could have defeated me easily with your bankai, Abarai."

"Your fire-element zanpakuto is pretty impressive," he said, "I wouldn't count on my defeating you, even with my bankai." He was smiling now, looking down at his shoulder. The material of his shihakushou was still smoldering where she had hit him.

She looked at him, as though evaluating the truthfulness of this statement. And then, appearing slightly taken aback, she said, "You're being honest, for a change, Abarai." He looked at her with surprise. "Like I said, I have a knack for people," she said with a smile, "I can tell if they're lying to me. So are you going to tell me how you knew my name at the bar?"

"What good would that do?" he asked, chuckling to himself. "You'd never believe me, anyhow." He stood up and dusted himself off, then walked over to Zabimaru and, with a sigh, picked the zanpakuto up and sheathed it. "How about that bottle of sake?" he asked, as he walked back over to her. "I left it just outside."

"Sure," she said, as they headed back to the smaller cave that opened onto the outside of the cliff. They sat down on the cave floor, back to back. Renji uncorked the bottle and handed it to her. She took a swig and passed it back to him. "And don't think I'm going to let you off the hook, Renji. You _will_ tell me the truth eventually."

He laughed, put down the bottle, and pushed her onto the floor, kissing her. The truth would have to wait.

********************************

She sat up and looked around, trying to remember where she was - the cave. She turned and saw him, lying next to her, naked and asleep on the futon they had found, rolled up alongside various weapons. He looked peaceful, content. She watched his chest rise and fall with each breath and fought the temptation to wake him up and start all over again.

As before, the sex had been intense, satisfying. Still, she felt uneasy. _"What the hell, Tatsuki,"_ she thought, as she watched him, _"are you falling for him?"_ There was no need to look for the answer; just the fact that she was asking herself the question was enough. _"I don't need a relationship," _she thought, looking away from him.

She quietly gathered up her clothing and dressed quickly. Then, grabbing her zanpakuto, she quickly slipped out of the cave, into the night. She didn't look back.

Hours later, Renji woke up, alone.


	6. Contradictory Intelligence

_"No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness." - Aristotle _

Chapter Six: Contradictory Intelligence

"Renji, have some more," laughed Rangiku, pouring him another round of sake.

"I've had enough," he said, popping a piece of sushi into his mouth so he wouldn't have to argue with her again. She turned to Ikkaku with a pout, looking for help.

"I'm not helping you this time, Matsumoto," said Ikkaku, shaking his head and laughing.

"Drop it, both of you," said Renji, his mouth full of rice.

"Renji," laughed Rangiku, "you don't need to tell us anything. It's written all over your face."

"More like she's already heard the gossip," laughed Ikkaku. "Besides, this was all your idea, Matsumoto. I told you he was too sensitive to handle her."

"As if," said Renji, standing up.

"Where are you going?" asked Matsumoto, surprised. "I promise to lay off the subject of Tatsuki."

"I need some air," said Renji, ignoring the 'what did I say?' look Matsumoto flashed at Ikkaku.

He stood up and headed out of the restaurant. Truth was, Ikkaku's words had hit pretty close to home. Renji hadn't seen Tatsuki since they had sparred nearly a week ago, and, given the way she had left him at the training grounds, he was pretty much convinced that she had been avoiding him ever since. He was at a loss to understand her apparently mixed signals.

He was a few feet away from the door when he heard a familiar laugh from behind him. He turned around to see Tatsuki sitting next to a broad-shouldered shinigami who Renji recognized as Suzuki Daiki, one of the other seated officers at the Eleventh Division. Suzuki was eyeing Tatsuki as though she were a particularly tasty piece of sushi, and he was looking mighty hungry. Tatsuki's arm was around Suzuki.

"Abarai!" yelled Tatsuki from the bar. "Come join us."

"_What is she playing at?" _he wondered. Ignoring the voice of reason screaming in his head, he walked over to the bar. "Arisawa, Suzuki," he said, nodding slightly.

"Abarai," said Suzuki, looking slightly irritated.

"Oh, good," said Tatsuki, "you two know each other." Suzuki grunted in assent.

"Good to see you again, Arisawa," said Renji, warily.

"How do you know Abarai?" asked Suzuki, his voice thick with sake. He was clearly jealous.

"We're just friends, Suzuki," said Tatsuki, laughing and looking at Renji. Renji's face was unreadable. Then, placing her arm around Suzuki again, she said, "Suzuki, I need you to do me a huge favor." The big man looked at her eagerly. "I left some papers on my desk that I really need to take a look at tonight. Would you mind getting them for me?" Suzuki eyed her warily, but she smiled and said, "I'll be waiting for you. I promise not to finish all the sake until you come back." Suzuki grumbled, but stood up and obediently headed out the door, glancing back several times to make sure that Renji was not looking to usurp his position at the bar.

"What was that all about?" asked Renji.

"I needed a favor," she replied, meeting his gaze.

"Right," said Renji. She raised an eyebrow, his meaning clearly not lost on her.

"Okay," she said, laughing now, "I needed to get rid of him for a while so I could talk to you."

"Why?" asked Renji, slightly irritated. "I've come by the Eleventh three times since that night at the practice grounds, and each time you've avoided me. Why would you want to talk to me now?"

"Why not?" she asked, taking a swig from the sake bottle and offering it to him. He ignored the bottle, and she replaced it on the bar. "Why don't you have a seat?" she asked, gesturing to the stool Suzuki had just vacated.

"I think I'll stand," said Renji.

"Are you angry?" she asked.

"Why would I be angry?" he answered. "You're entitled to spend time with anyone you want, Tatsuki."

"Join me for a drink?" she asked.

"That usually starts well, and then you leave," he said simply.

For a moment, her face looked almost sad, regretful. Then, recovering, she picked up the bottle and swallowed another mouthful of sake. "No complaints while I'm there, though?" she laughed.

"Look, Tatsuki," Renji said, ignoring the question, "when you decide what you want, I'll be around." She looked at him, surprise registering on her face. And with that, he turned and walked out of the building.

******************************

Four days later, Renji stood in the middle of a dirt road at the edge of the Rukongai with Nakagawa Youta, the Sixth Division's Eighth Seat, waiting for the two other shinigami who would join the patrol. Joint patrols were something Renji looked forward to; he enjoyed the change of scenery the mountains provided, and the patrols gave him an excuse to dodge the ever-growing pile of paperwork that seemed to accumulate on his desk without fail.

Typically, the Sixth Division had been paired with the Tenth in the four-man squads. This was due largely to Renji's close relationship and longtime friendship with Matsumoto. The Sixth and Tenth Divisions were well-matched, not only in style, but in temperament. This day, however, when Renji and Youta were met by two Eleventh Division shinigami.

"Abarai fukutaicho," said Tatsuki, laughing softly and shaking her head, "I hadn't expected we'd meet again quite so soon. Again a coincidence."

"No coincidence," he replied, his face impassive. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, but Renji did not elaborate.

"Abarai fukutaicho, this is Kobayashi Tarou, Seventh Seat of the Eleventh," said Tatsuki, gesturing to her companion, a large man with a long ponytail that was tied up with what looked like animal bones.

"Abarai fukutaicho," said Kobayashi, bowing stiffly, clearly uncomfortable at being paired with shinigamis from the Sixth Division.

"This is Nakagawa Youta, Eighth Seat," said Renji to Kobayashi. "Since you're the second-highest ranked officer here, Kobayashi, you will be paired with Youta." This seemed to improve Kobayashi's mood. "Arisawa Tatsuki, you're with me." At Renji's direction, the four shinigami sat down on a large rock by the side of the road to discuss their orders.

"There have been reports that residents of the Rukongai have gone missing in the mountains and foothills not far from here," said Renji, pulling out a piece of parchment from his shihakushou and unrolling it to reveal a crude map. "The Captain-Commander has asked us to investigate two areas for possible criminal or hollow activity." He pointed to a location at the base of the mountains, and to a second location, in the mountains themselves.

"Kobayashi, you and Youta will investigate this location in the foothills," continued Renji. "Arisawa and I will check out the mountain location. We'll meet back here in six days. If you run into trouble, send a hell butterfly back to your division with your location. Understood?" The other three shinigami nodded. "Good," said Renji, putting away the map and picking up the small pack he had left by the side of the road. The four headed down the dirt road a few miles, at which point Renji and Tatsuki left the road for a small trail which headed up into the mountains.

Renji and Tatsuki walked in uncomfortable silence for nearly an hour. "I'm surprised you assigned me to this mission," said Tatsuki finally. "I thought you were angry with me."

"I didn't assign you, Arisawa, and I'm not angry." His eyes remained on the trail.

"You're telling the truth," she said.

"I do that sometimes," replied Renji. "Surprised?"

"So it was Matsumoto, then?"

"Yep," he replied, hopping over a fallen tree. "She thinks we just need a push in the right direction."

"And you?" asked Tatsuki.

"It's up to you, Arisawa. I think I've made myself pretty clear."

"I'm not interested in a relationship," she said, bluntly.

"Right," he said.

"So what's wrong with enjoying yourself? Am I that uninteresting?" she asked, half seriously.

He laughed, "You're more than interesting, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying yourself."

"Then why not have fun?"

"I'm getting too old for that," he said. "I was hoping for something more, this time."

"How old are you?" she asked.

"Old enough to be your grandfather, at least," he said, grinning.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," she said, and she laughed.

"You didn't seem to mind before," he said, laughing in spite of himself.

"True enough," she replied. "Of course, compared to Captain-Commander Yamamoto, I suppose, you're a baby."

"Exactly."

She was silent for some time, and Renji could tell she wanted to ask him something, but was hesitating. He did not push the issue, choosing instead to enjoy the beauty that surrounded them and the sounds of birds coming from the trees. He found that he was enjoying her company; there had been little opportunity to just talk before.

"Lunch?" he said, an hour or so later. She nodded, and dropped her small pack on the ground next to his. He handed her a ball of rice and a piece of fruit, and helped himself to the same. He leaned against the trunk of a tree and looked over the Rukongai below and the mountains, now much closer.

"Renji," she said, using his given name for the first time, "you weren't born here, were you?"

"No," he said, surprised by the question.

"How old were you when you came to the Soul Society?" she asked.

"Four," he said.

"I was seventeen," she said. Renji looked back out over the Rukongai, not meeting her eyes, afraid she might see something there that was better left unseen.

"Do you remember anything from before?"

"Yes," he said.

"I don't," she said, her face momentarily wistful. "I wish I did."

"Why?" he asked.

"I feel…incomplete," she replied. "I wonder who I left behind, or if there was anyone who might miss me - someone whose life I made a difference in. I know it sounds stupid, but…"

"It's not stupid" he said, interrupting her. "I'm sure there are people who miss you. People whose lives you changed." _"People like Ichigo, Inoue…and me," _he thought.

"Do you remember how you died?" she asked. He nodded. "Was there someone with you?"

"A shinigami," he replied, willing himself not to remember anything else about that day.

"I hope I didn't die alone. I don't think there's anything worse than that." And, for an instant, he thought he saw the specter of something else in her eyes. Pain, perhaps. Memory. She stood up abruptly, shaking off the introspective mood and stretching her arms. "We should go," she said, picking up her pack.

"_You didn't die alone, Tatsuki,"_ he thought, as he picked up his own pack and started back down the trail with her. _"I know. I was with you."_


	7. Loss

**Author's Note: The plot line in this flashback chapter of "In the House of Tomorrow" diverges from canon and assumes Ichigo and company were able to successfully retrieve Orihime from Las Noches before the Winter War. This "road not taken" follows the general plot line of my prior fic, "King's Key: The Four Prongs" (although you don't need to have read that story to understand this one).**

"_Go, Soul, the body's guest,_

_Upon a thankless arrant:_

_Fear not to touch the best,_

_The truth shall be thy warrant:_

_Go, since I needs must die,_

_And give the world the lie." -Sir Walter Raleigh, "The Lie"_

Chapter Seven: Loss

**Eleven Years Before:**

"Damn!" growled Renji, sitting on the floor of Urahara's shop, rubbing his chin where Tatsuki had just punched him. "Why'd you do that?"

"Why the hell did you leave without telling me anything?!" She was furious. "You owed me that much."

"I didn't…" he started, but she cut him off.

"Orihime is like my sister, Abarai," she yelled at him. "You knew I'd want to help bring her back."

"She's back," he said, "and she's fine."

"Yeah," said Tatsuki, frowning, "she's fine. She's been back for a week, but where the hell have you been? Where's Ichigo?"

"He'll be back soon, he's got some unfinished business to take care of in the Soul Society."

"Something's up, Abarai. You'd better tell me the truth. I'll know if you're lying," she said, scowling. She was right; she always could tell when he was lying.

Renji debated whether to avoid the subject and not answer her at all. He knew Ichigo wouldn't tell her; he had made that clear when Tatsuki had confronted him about Orihime's disappearance. _"She has a right to know,"_ he thought, studying her, _"this is about her town and the people she cares about."_

"The Arrancar are planning to destroy Karakura Town," he said. It was so easy to say, but the reality of his words still had not really sunk in. "There are more shinigami coming to defend the city."

"A war?" she asked, astonished. He nodded. "What is the Soul Society planning to do to protect the people here?"

"I don't know," he said, in all honesty, "I'm sure Captain-Commander Yamamoto has something in…"

"Train me," she said simply, interrupting him. "I can help you."

"No way," he said, taken aback. "You have no idea how powerful the Arrancar are."

"Then teach me how to become stronger," she said, her eyes ablaze with determination.

"No," he said again, "it's too risky."

"So I should just sit here and wait to be killed?" It was not a question. "I'm already stronger," she said, "I can fight. You've said it yourself - I absorbed some of Ichigo's spirit energy."

"Even if I trained you," he said, "you wouldn't be able to fight them. _We_ can barely fight them."

"Orihime is leaving for the Soul Society again," she said, changing the subject. This was true, Renji knew. Inoue had been ordered to the Soul Society to assist in preparations for the war.

"And?"

"She's human, too, Abarai. If she can help you, so can I." She glared at him impatiently. He said nothing. "You can't ignore me, Abarai!" she shouted at him. "I'll find a way to fight, one way or another." He sighed audibly. He knew he was losing this battle. "Why won't you let me help?" she demanded, her face now flushed with anger.

"Because," he said, stammering slightly, "because…I don't want you to get hurt." He hadn't planned to say it but, like most things where Arisawa Tatsuki was concerned, things rarely went as planned. He looked at the floor, avoiding her eyes. "I care about you, Tatsuki." Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Hmmph," she said, smirking. "So Mr. Cool has a soft side, huh?" He looked up, a slightly hurt expression on his face. She shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry," she said after a moment, "I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," said Renji. "I deserved it. You're right, Tatsuki, you should be able to defend your home and your friends. I'd feel the same." There was no triumph on her face. Instead, she looked relieved.

"You'll train me, then?" she asked.

"Yes," he said with resignation. "I'll train you."

***************************************

"You did _what?!"_ yelled Ichigo, two months later.

"I told her I'd train her," said Renji, ready for the fight. "I _am_ training her, Kurosaki."

"I wanted to keep her out of this thing," said Ichigo, scowling. "That's why I didn't tell her about Orihime. Now _you_ go and train her to fight the Arrancar? Are you crazy?"

"Since when do you to decide which of your friends can fight?" answered Renji, his voice raised.

"I don't want any of them to fight," growled Ichigo.

"That's never been your decision to make," retorted Renji. "You think you can decide for them, but you can't."

"What can Tatsuki do, anyhow?" asked Ichigo, still scowling. "Hand to hand combat won't kill an Arrancar."

"She's got decent reiatsu, Kurosaki. She can even do a few Kido spells - better than you ever could."

"Kido won't work against them, Renji, you know that," said Ichigo, with frustration.

"Maybe not," replied Renji, "but you can't stop her. She needs to feel that she's part of this, and she'll fight whether you want her to or not. At least this way, she has half a chance." Renji saw Ichigo clench his fists.

"You're not going to change my mind, Abarai," said Ichigo. His words were strong, but his voice had moderated somewhat.

"You never want any help, do you?" said Renji. "You think you can protect everyone."

"If something happens to her…" began Ichigo.

"I won't let that happen," Renji interrupted.

"You can't protect everyone, either," said Ichigo, shaking his head and walking out of the room.

"_I will keep her safe," thought Renji, as he watched Ichigo leave._

***************************************

It was night. Renji and Tatsuki, along with several other shinigami, fought a small group of Arrancar in the Karakura Town park. The war had not yet formally begun, but the number of clashes with the Arrancar had grown exponentially since Orihime's return from Hueco Mundo. Yamamoto believed these skirmishes were meant to test the town's defenses, as well as keep the shinigami preoccupied and make battle preparations more difficult.

Tatsuki and Renji had successfully battled a group of Adjuchas only four days before. Renji had killed one of the hollows, and the two remaining combatants had fled. Tonight, however, the group was larger than normal. There were six Arrancar, including one low-level Vasto Lorde. Renji and one of the other shinigami had managed to seriously injure or kill three of the group, but the other three hollows showed no interest in a quick retreat.

"Hihiou Zabimaru!" shouted Renji, releasing his bankai. The huge, snakelike body of Zabimaru twisted, and its baboon head roared as it soared through the air at remaining Arrancar. The baboon teeth sank into the neck one of the Arrancar. The Arrancar roared and lunged at the head, too slowly. Renji directed the enormous head at the Arrancar, plunging its teeth again into the Arrancar's neck and, this time, the Arrancar fell to the ground, mortally wounded.

From over his shoulder, Renji could hear Tatsuki fighting the other Adjuchas. Further away from him, the rest of the shinigami fought the lone Vasto Lorde. Tatsuki was holding her own, using a combination of hand to hand combat, as well as the two Kido spells Renji had taught her. He was amazed at how quickly she had learned the spells, despite his less than perfect Kido technique. Deciding that the other shinigami were in more immediate need of his help, he moved quickly to join the battle with the Vasto Lorde.

"Hado thirty-three, Soukatsui!" shouted Tatsuki. A large burst of blue light flew at the spot where the Arrancar stood, knocking him over. "Hado number nine, Geki!" Tatsuki's opponent was briefly immobilized in a beam of red light. Tatsuki kicked the Arrancar hard in the face. The hollow's mask cracked and it screamed in pain. She punched the hollow in the face, and its mask now crumbled. The hollow vanished in a cloud of dust.

Tatsuki moved over to where Renji and the other shinigami fought the Vasto Lorde. Renji, who had seen her defeat the Adjuchas, called out over the din of the fighters, "Great job, Arisawa!" She smiled and joined the fight.

Renji swung Zabimaru over his head several times, the many-sectioned blade extended to its fullest. With a quick turn of his wrist, the snaking links flew skywards, encircling the Vasto Lorde like a net. Again, Renji moved his wrist quickly about, and the zanpakuto began to close around the place where the Vasto Lorde stood. There was a flash of gold light from the spot where the Arrancar had once been, and then the crashing sounds of metal hitting metal. "Shit," cursed Renji, under his breath as he reeled in the sections of metal. The Vasto Lorde now stood yards from where Renji's attack had hit. He laughed, raised his hand and aimed for Renji.

"Renji, watch out!" yelled Tatsuki, as a huge ball of red energy grew in the hollow's hand. Renji turned to see Tatsuki launch herself in front of him, trying to shield him from the impact of the Cero. "Purotekuto!" she yelled as she moved, and a bright orange wall of energy grew in front of her palms. The Cero met the orange energy shield, and there was a burst of red and orange light. Tatsuki was thrown backwards by the force of the impact, and she landed on the ground.

"Tatsuki!" shouted Renji, as the Vasto Lorde launched a second Cero, this time aiming directly at the place Tatsuki lay. Renji knew she could not reproduce the shield defense immediately. Tatsuki struggled to her feet, but she had not yet recovered from the impact of the last attack, and her reflexes were slow. The Cero flew, unimpeded. Renji, using shunpo, moved as quickly as he could to try to intercept the attack, but he had not yet re-formed Zabimaru and could not extend the weapon far enough. Tatsuki fell, hit in the chest by the Vasto Lorde's Cero.

"No!" roared Renji, enraged. He swung his now re-formed zanpakuto at the Vasto Lorde with such force that the hollow was literally knocked off his feet, flying backwards several feet and hitting a large tree. The Vasto Lorde struggled to get up. "Hikoutsu Taihou!" yelled Renji. An enormous blast of reiatsu shot through the air from the mouth of his zanpakuto and hit the Arrancar in the face. The Vasto Lorde fell to the ground and lay there, unmoving. Renji ran over to where Tatsuki was lying. He knew the Vasto Lorde was not dead, but he didn't care; at that moment, he only cared about Tatsuki.

"Tatsuki," he said, picking her up in his arms, "you okay?" She looked at him and smiled weakly.

"I'm great," she said, alternately laughing and coughing. Renji looked down at her chest. There was a gaping wound where she had been hit, and she was bleeding heavily.

"I'm going to get you some help," he told her. In the background, Renji could hear the renewed sounds of battle. The Vasto Lorde had regained consciousness.

"No, Abarai," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Stay with me. Please"

"You'll be fine," he said, "you just need…"

"Right," she said, smiling again. "I always know when you're lying, Abarai." He said nothing. He knew there was nothing anyone could do. Orihime was gone, and there was nothing an ordinary healer could do for such severe injuries.

"Tatsuki," he said, a muscle in his face twitching, "I'm sorry."

"What the hell do you have to be sorry about, Abarai?" she said, smiling at him. "This is what I wanted. A chance to fight. To help. You gave me that." And then she was gone; he could feel her reiatsu leave her body. He took his hand and gently closed her eyes. As he did so, he saw her spirit manifest next to her body.

"You were amazing, Tatsuki," he said. She smiled at him.

"Thank you, Renji," she said, "for everything."

He raised his zanpakuto, now returned to its original form. She nodded and smiled. He turned the hilt outward and gently touched it to her forehead. "Goodbye, Tatsuki," he said as he watched her spirit dissolve into shimmering light and float upward, led by a black butterfly. "I won't forget you."


	8. Retreat

_"Memory is the scribe of the soul."__ -__Aristotle_

Chapter Eight: Retreat

**Present Day:**

Night had fallen. They had made camp in a small clearing that overlooked the valley below. The Rukongai was now barely visible in the distance. Tatsuki slept fitfully as Renji watched.

_She was sitting in the small building, watching the teenage boy tap his foot on the ground, clearly irritated. It was not the first time they had had the conversation, but time was now running short and her departure was imminent._

"_Why are you leaving?"_

"_You know I'm not leaving," she replied, "I'm just going to school."_

"_You'll be back, right?" He looked up, his eyes probing her._

"_Of course," laughed Tatsuki, "you know I will. It's not like I'm going far."_

"_What am I supposed to do?" he asked._

"_We've been over this, Kazumi," she said, sighing, "Old lady Nakada will make sure you get dinner each night, and you can hang out with Chou and the others during the day."_

"_They're boring. I still don't understand why I can't come with you," he said, his face set with anger._

"_We've talked about that. You're not ready for the Academy just yet."_

"_I'm thirteen years old," he said, straightening up to his fullest height. "And I've got strong reiatsu. You said it yourself."_

_She smiled patiently. "That's true, but you need to develop your skills a bit more before you can take the entrance exam."_

"_Will you teach me?" he asked._

"_Of course I will," she said. "I'll be back every free day I get. We can train together." He turned away from her and crossed his arms over his chest._

"_Right."_

_The scene dissolved, and she found herself in an open field, facing him. He had grown nearly a foot in the intervening two years that she had been at the Academy, and now stood taller than she. He looked more like a man than a boy, both in the way he held himself, as well as in his expression. __They had been sparring and, although her skills had improved measurably since she had left the Rukongai, he had nearly been able to defeat her without her using her zanpakuto. They both were panting, sweaty and exhausted. She smiled at him. "Your grasp of Kido has really improved, Kazumi. When do you hear back from the Academy about your application?" she asked._

"_I didn't apply," he said, casually._

"_What?" she said, shocked at his answer. "You're ready, Kazumi. I know they'd take you. You've wanted this for years."_

"_I don't care," he said, his face expressionless. "I have other interests now."_

"_What the hell are you thinking!" she nearly shouted, brows furrowed in frustration. She looked at him carefully, trying to sense what he was thinking. And then it came to her, the realization which sent chills up her spine. "You've been hanging out with the gang again, haven't you?"_

"_I can hang out with anyone I damn well choose to, Tatsuki. You're not my mother. You're not even my sister. I can make my own choices."_

Tatsuki moaned in her sleep.

_The scene changed yet again, and she found herself running through the Rukongai, searching for him. He was not here, she could feel it. He was far from here, somewhere she could not reach him. Beyond her help. And still, she had looked for him for months, and her schoolwork had suffered because of it. She hadn't minded, though; the thought that she might find him, bring him home, back to his senses, had been the driving force of her life since she had discovered him missing. "It's my fault," she thought, bitterly, "I shouldn't have left him here by himself. I let him down." She ran back to the place they had lived, now empty. __The oppressiveness of the place overwhelmed her. When they had lived here together, as a family, the small shack had been filled with life, warmth, and possibilities. Now, it seemed gray, dead. He was gone for good, she knew it in her heart - even if she were to find him, he wouldn't come back with her. _

_She didn't want to feel it, the overwhelming pain that had taken up residence in the place he used to inhabit in her soul. "No!" she yelled, and she punched her fist hard into the wall next to her, creating a hole that went nearly through to the outside. The pain in her hand was far easier to bear than the pain of loss. Physical pain was concrete, lasting only temporarily. Losing him was far more painful, and she knew the pain would linger and lick at her insides like tiny flames in smoldering ashes that refused to die. "I did this to myself," she thought, pushing away the pain, "I should never have let myself care. I should never have believed I could change his life."_

"Kazumi," Tatsuki moaned, and opened her eyes.

"You okay?" asked Renji. He was looking at her with some concern. It took Tatsuki a minute to realize where she was.

"Yeah," she said, her face reddening slightly, "I'm fine." She looked away quickly, afraid he'd see something in her face she didn't want him to see. _"Let it go, Tatsuki," _she thought_, "It won't do you any good to remember."_

"Bad dream?" he asked.

"Memories," she said, standing up and looking uncomfortable. Then, changing the subject, she said, "It's getting light, why don't we get going? We can eat on the trail." She knew she'd feel better if she got moving.

He raised an eyebrow. "Sure," he said, standing up and picking up his zanpakuto and pack. They walked for about an hour in silence. The sun was just starting to rise over the Rukongai below, and the trees were tinged with a pinkish hue. Tatsuki looked back at the Rukongai several times before the forest became thick with trees, blocking the view.

_"It looks peaceful from here," _she thought, still fighting to push back the memory awakened by her dream.

"You're from the Rukongai?" asked Renji, after a while. He knew the answer, of course, but he hoped to learn more about her history there.

"Yes," she replied.

"Tough place, huh?"

"You could say that," she said, staring off in the distance. "I lost a lot of friends there."

"So did I," he said. "That's why I finally left." She quickly looked away from him, not wanting him to see her face. "Sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to pry."

"S'okay," she said, still not looking at him. They walked some more in silence. Renji knew better than to push her; she clearly did not want to talk about her dream or her life in the Rukongai.

"So," she said, finally, "tell me about the disappearances."

"Not much to tell," he answered, happy to be talking again. "There have been ordinary souls with no particular spirit energy reported missing from the Rukongai. There's also some intelligence about gang activity in the mountains and foothills. The Captain-Commander believes the two reports may be related."

"I don't understand why the Seireitei sits on its ass and does nothing about the gangs," she said, a hint of anger in her voice. The tone of her voice was not lost on him.

"They've been sending patrols for the past few years," he replied, not wanting to fan the flames.

"It's not enough," she said.

"No," he said, "probably not." She said nothing, and they were again plunged into self-imposed silence. _"Something happened to her in the Rukongai," _he thought, fighting the urge to press her for more details. He was now more convinced than ever that her life in the Rukongai was the key to understanding her fear of commitment and the mixed signals she had been sending. _"Don't push it Renji," _he thought, looking at her. _"She'll talk about it when she's ready."_

The terrain became rougher, and the trail began to ascend more steeply. They were now within an hour of the location Renji had marked on the map. As they climbed, their pace slowed, and the forest around them became denser, darker. It was about thirty minutes later that Renji felt it. Reiatsus. Not powerful, like those of shinigami, but strong enough to sense at a short distance. "I feel eight souls, not far from here, heading further into the mountains" he said, lowering his voice. "None of them are shinigami, so I think we can use shunpo to catch up to them. They're unlikely to sense us." She nodded, and they sped off in the direction he indicated.

They found the group a short time later: six men and two women, Rukongai gang members, judging from the small piece of burgundy fabric each wore on his or her body. They each carried knives and long sticks as weapons. Renji and Tatsuki hung back far enough to avoid detection, but close enough to overhear the conversation. "When do we go back?" asked one of the women in the group.

"A week," answered a tall, barrel-chested man with a scar on one cheek. He carried a crudely-fashioned sword which resembled a zanpakuto and, from his demeanor, Renji guessed that he was the leader of the gang. "Raiden wants two more for one of his little projects."

"Women?" asked another man, laughing. "Tell him I'll do it for free if he'll let me keep one for my own little project."

"You're disgusting, Iwao," said one of the women.

"It's not like Raiden pays us that much anyhow," grumbled another man.

"Better than the Rukongai bosses," said another man. "Right, Kin?"

"Shut up, all of you," said Kin, "or none of you get paid."

"Without help from that scumbag Aizen, Raiden's a little low on funds, eh Kin?" said one of the men, laughing.

"Shut up, Saburo," said Kin. "You don't know anything."

"I know that Aizen left Raiden here to rot before the War," laughed Saburo. "Left for Hueco Mundo, they say, and never came back." Kin stopped and turned around, grabbing Saburo by his collar and pressing the blade of his weapon to Saburo's cheek.

"One more word out of you," snarled Kin, "and I'll see to it that Raiden uses _you_ in one of his experiments. Understand?" Saburo blanched visibly and nodded. "Good. And I'd better not hear any more lip out of the rest of you, or you'll all be his next lab rats." There was silence and expressions of fear on the faces of the men and women. The group began to move again, but there was no more conversation. Tatsuki looked at Renji, eyebrows raised. Renji motioned for them to follow.

An hour later, the group stopped at a rocky outcropping near a steep ravine. Placing his hand on the surface of one of the rock faces, Kin pushed hard, revealing the entrance to what appeared to be a cave. Kin walked through the entrance and the others followed, the last few looking behind them to be sure they were alone. After the last man entered the cave, the large stone opening was pushed back into place from the other side, re-sealing the entryway.

Renji waited a minute or two and then raised his hand. A black butterfly landed on his outstretched palm, and he focused his thoughts to transmit the location and information he and Tatsuki had obtained. The butterfly's wings moved slowly up and down, and then it took to the air in the direction of the Seireitei.

"Aizen?" said Tatsuki, after the butterfly had left. "I thought he was dead."

"He is," replied Renji. "This Raiden guy must have worked with Aizen before he left the Soul Society, before the War."

"What kind of experiments do you think he's conducting?"

"No idea," answered Renji. "We need to find out, get the word back to Yamamoto." Renji slowly approached the entrance to the cave, while Tatsuki stood back several feet, looking around to be sure they were alone. Renji touched the spot on the rock face and pushed. The stone door opened, and, after a brief look inside, Renji motioned for her to join him. Both drew their zanpakutos.

The entryway opened onto a long passageway that appeared to descend into the mountainside. The cave was manmade; the walls too smooth to have been naturally created. The passageway was not completely dark as might be expected; some of the stone that made up the walls appeared to radiate light. They moved slowly, looking out for sentries as they went. From time to time, Renji would look back at Tatsuki to make sure she was still behind him; she was so quiet he couldn't hear her footsteps. They descended slowly for nearly an hour on stone steps, finally reaching a large, naturally occurring cave with stalactites and stalagmites scattered throughout. Renji was relieved; the formations provided cover in what was a relatively open area. Renji pointed to a formation several hundred yards from where they stood; he felt traces of reiatsus which led in that direction. Sure enough, as they made their way around the formation, there was a small opening in the rock beyond. As soon as they went through the opening, they heard voices ahead. They stopped to listen.

"…back to the Rukongai," said the first voice, which Renji recognized as the leader of the group, Kin.

"You're not being careful enough," came a second voice, in a silky baritone. "Yamamoto has sent patrols to investigate the disappearances."

"I apologize, Raiden-sama," said Kin, "I will speak to my men."

"Perhaps they have outlived their usefulness," said Raiden. "It may be time to recruit new blood."

"Of course," said Kin.

"Come with me, Kin," said Raiden, after a moment, "we need to discuss something." Footsteps, and then silence.

Renji turned to Tatsuki and she nodded, following him in the direction in which Kin and Raiden had left. They walked through yet another passageway and into a large room which reminded Renji of Kurotsuchi-taicho's Shinigami Research and Development Institute, full of shelves of unidentifiable substances and lab equipment strewn haphazardly across numerous tables.

"Kin," said a voice from behind them, "our visitors have arrived." Renji and Tatsuki, still holding their zanpakutos, turned to see a silver-haired man, middle-aged, dressed in a burgundy kimono. Kin stood at his side. From several doors spaced throughout the room, a dozen more men and women who looked like Rukongai street fighters entered the room, taking up positions in front of Raiden.

"I see the Old Man took the reports seriously," said Raiden, smiling at Tatsuki and Renji. "You're Abarai-fukutaicho of the Sixth Division, are you not? And you," he continued, still smiling, "are Arisawa Tatsuki, Twelfth Seat of the Eleventh Division, correct?" Tatsuki shot a look of surprise at Renji.

"How long have you known we were here?" asked Renji, his face impassive.

"Since before you entered the cave, of course," replied Raiden, his face smug. "One must always be aware of the location of one's guests. We've been expecting you."

"Why are you kidnapping souls from the Rukongai?" demanded Tatsuki.

"A scientist cannot truly assess his theories without test subjects," replied Raiden. He was clearly enjoying the anger this statement appeared to provoke in Tatsuki, because he smiled at her even as she glared at him.

"What kind of theories?" asked Renji.

"Nothing the Seireitei needs to be concerned with," laughed Raiden. "I am truly sorry, but I neither feel the need to go into further detail about my work, nor do I have the time to chat with you at length. Kin?" Kin and the others surrounded Tatsuki and Renji. Renji swung Zabimaru in the direction of the closest fighters, and they jumped back to avoid his blade. A few flasks of liquid and what looked like a microscope fell onto the floor with a resounding crash.

"Kin," said Raiden from behind the fighters, "much as I know you and your friends would enjoy the fight, I really can't have my laboratory destroyed." Several of the fighters appeared disappointed. Renji and Tatsuki, still poised to fight, watched as Raiden pulled a leather cord necklace from under his kimono. Attached to the cord was what appeared to be a small, dark rock, pitted and dull. Renji glanced at Tatsuki, who gripped her zanpakuto tighter.

"Apparently, I will have to show you one of my little projects," sighed Raiden, theatrically. Then he laughed, and took the stone in his hand, looking directly at Tatsuki and Renji. Both felt a slight warmth coming from the hilt of their weapons. Renji looked at Tatsuki and they lunged at Raiden, pushing aside the fighters that blocked the way. As they did so, they were both overcome by a strong sensation of dizziness that forced them to stand still to keep from losing their balance.

"What the hell?" said Tatsuki, blinking her eyes and swaying slightly.

"Nice effect, isn't it?" said Raiden, smiling contentedly. Renji raised his zanpakuto and tried again to reach Raiden. "But that's not all it can do, of course," said Raiden, as Renji approached. As he said this, Renji and Tatsuki watched in shock as their zanpakutos shimmered briefly and then dissolved from the tip on down, leaving them empty handed. Renji started to say something, but the room suddenly became blurry, and he found he could not form the words. He and Tatsuki fell to the ground, unconscious.


	9. The Enemy Within

_Every hardship; every joy; every temptation is a challenge of the spirit; that the human soul may prove itself. The great chain of necessity wherewith we are bound has divine significance; and nothing happens which has not some service in working out the sublime destiny of the human soul."__ -__Elias A.__Ford_

Chapter Nine: The Enemy Within

Tatsuki sat up slowly and watched the room swim into focus. Her body felt heavy, tired - worse than a morning after a night spent drinking too much sake. She rubbed her eyes, finding it surprisingly difficult to lift her hands to her face. _"What the hell was that thing he hit us with?" _she thought, as she looked around. She saw a body, lying on the floor about ten feet away from her. "Renji!" She couldn't feel his reiatsu, and for a moment, fear rose in her, cold and stinging._ "Please don't let him be dead," _she thought.

"Renji," she said, again, fighting lingering dizziness and moving over to him. Still, there was no response. Then she saw his chest rise and fall. _"Thank God,"_ she thought, her fear abating somewhat. She put her hands on his face and bent down over him. Seeing him like this unsettled her more than she cared to admit. And then it occurred to her that it was not only his reiatsu she couldn't sense; she couldn't feel any reiatsus. She wondered vaguely if the walls of the room might be made of Sekkiseki stone.

The room was small and sparsely furnished. There was a small bed in one corner, the bed on which Tatsuki had awoken. There was a table near the bed with a glass of water set on top and a plate of rice balls and fruit. The only other furniture in the room was a simple chair. Given the less than warm reception they had received, Tatsuki was surprised at their accommodations. There was a knock on the door - another surprise – Tatsuki had expected her captors to come and go at will. The door opened slowly to reveal a man, silhouetted in the entryway. "I see you're awake," said the man. "I trust you are comfortable?"

"What have you done to him?" she demanded, ignoring his question.

"He'll be fine, Arisawa," replied the man. "He is not injured."

"Who are you? How do you know me?"

"I'm disappointed, Arisawa. Have I changed that much in five years?" He walked into the room, and Tatsuki was able to see his face more clearly. She knew that face. He was no longer a child, but his features were unmistakable. "_So that's how Raiden knew who we were," _she thought.

"Kazumi."

"I'm glad you haven't forgotten me, Arisawa," he said, smiling.

"I could never forget you. I looked for you for months after you left. I worried about you. I…I still worry," she admitted, in spite of herself. "Why are you here, in this place?" She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"After I left," he said, studying her face, "I started to run with the wrong people. I didn't know where to turn. I wanted out of the gang, to go back home, but that wasn't an option. I was beaten, left for dead. Raiden saved my life."

"Kazumi," said Tatsuki, her eyes full of pain, "I'm sorry." She hated the pain, hated herself for letting herself feel it and hated herself for failing to protect him.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Arisawa," he replied evenly. "I am happy here."

"Right," she said, looking into his eyes.

"Same old Arisawa," he laughed, "still able to tell when someone is lying." She did not respond.

"How do you feel?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Lousy," she said. "What the hell was that thing?"

"Raiden's Sealing Stone," replied Kazumi. "Its effects are only temporary. I'm told that even the strongest shinigami is as weak as a human for several days after being exposed to the Stone's energy."

"I feel like I've lost all my Reiryoku, all my spirit power," she said.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

"I suppose," she said. "What does this Raiden plan to do with the weapon?"

Kazumi smiled. "Obviously, I can't tell you that." Tatsuki said nothing. He smiled at her, "I know that look, Arisawa." For a fleeting moment, Tatsuki could see the child she had known in the man's eyes. "You're feeling guilty, aren't you?"

"Would it matter to you?" she asked, regaining her composure.

"Surprisingly, yes," he replied. "But you have nothing to feel guilty about. You couldn't have stopped me, even if you had stayed in the Rukongai. I had made up my mind."

"You were a child," she said.

"No," he said, his face softening just slightly as he spoke, "I was a man. You just didn't realize it."

"If you're not happy here, why don't you leave this place?" she asked.

"I'd like to," he answered, "someday." It was the truth; she could feel it.

"Raiden is planning to kill us," she said.

"Perhaps," replied Kazumi. "He may yet be persuaded to let you live, I think. He could always use two powerful shinigami to assist in his work."

"That would never happen," said Tatsuki, looking him in the eyes.

"All I ask is that you consider it," he said, meeting her gaze. "There is time. He will not kill you immediately. He has…other plans." Tatsuki did not like the sound of that last statement, but she did not press him.

Kazumi turned to leave. "I will be back to check on you again. In the meantime, please make yourself comfortable." The door closed behind him, and Tatsuki sat down on the floor a few feet away from where Renji lay, staring at the door. After a few minutes, she closed her eyes and put her hands to her face.

"_Kazumi," _she thought. _"Why?"_ The memory came to her, unbidden.

_She had been in the Soul Society for nearly a year, sharing her tiny living space with the young boy with the bright blue eyes. Since she had met him, he had hardly slept an entire night without waking up, frightened by the nightmares of his former life in the Real World. _

"_I'm scared, Tatsi," he would say, and she would comfort him, telling him some of the stories she had heard about the Seireitei and the shinigami who lived there. Some nights, she would be up all night, holding him, wiping away his tears. He seemed so small, fragile._

"Kazumi," she said, aloud. Her voice sounded far away, as if someone else had spoken the name. And then she felt something that she had not allowed herself to feel since the day he had left: the pain of sadness and loss. She was too tired, too overwhelmed at seeing him like this to fight the feeling. For the first time in five years, she cried. Tears streamed down her face, falling onto the floor. The pain was overwhelming. She was thankful Renji was not awake to see her like this. She sat there and cried for what seemed like hours.

"Tatsuki." Startled, she turned around to see Renji, struggling to sit up. She quickly wiped her face with the sleeve of her kimono.

"Sorry," she said, embarrassed. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry for what?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"For letting myself…"

"Feel?" he said, finishing her sentence.

"For being unprofessional," she said. "For letting my memories get in the way of my job."

"You've never been anything _but_ professional, from what I've seen," said Renji, still studying her face. "We all have memories we carry with us into battle." She said nothing, but looked away from him.

"You asked me once if I remembered anything from my life in the Real World," he said. "I told you I did." She turned back, surprised that he would bring up what she had assumed was a painful subject. "I remember my life and my death, Tatsuki," he said simply.

"I had a good life, a loving family. We were happy. When I died in a car accident, I came to the Soul Society alone. But I didn't forget about my life; I obsessed about it. I found out that my mother had died in the same accident a short time later and I went to find her." Tatsuki could see the pain in his eyes, but she could not tear herself away - she was transfixed. "My mother didn't remember me, Tatsuki," he explained. "I didn't understand; I was only ten. It was devastating."

"I remember thinking that I didn't care what happened to me, that I'd never be happy again," he continued. "That's when I met Rukia. She saved me from myself. She became my best friend." He was silent for a moment, remembering.

"I never forgot my mother," he said, and Tatsuki could see something else in his eyes now: determination. "But I moved on, let it go best I could. That's the most anyone can hope for." Renji looked at her and smiled, and they sat in silence for several minutes.

There was the sound of a key turning in the door, and both of them stood up abruptly. Renji, still dizzy from the effects of the Sealing Stone, leaned on the table for balance. The door opened to reveal Kin and a second man, weapons drawn. "Abarai fukutaicho," said Kin, "Raiden would like to see you." The second man smiled at Tatsuki and she stepped in between Renji and the two men, fists raised, ready to defend him.

"It's okay, Tatsuki," said Renji. "Now is not the time to fight." She knew he was right; they needed to find out more about Raiden and his weapon. She reluctantly lowered her fists and stepped aside.

"Smart man," laughed Kin, as Renji moved towards the door. The two men followed Renji outside, and Tatsuki heard the door lock again.

_"Thank you, Renji,"_ she thought.


	10. Elucidation

_"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars."__ -Kahlil __Gibran_

Chapter Ten: Elucidation

Kin led Renji back to the large laboratory in which he and Tatsuki had been captured days before. Renji, whose arms had been bound tightly behind his back, was pushed up against a wall and untied, only to have both his arms and legs shackled to the wall.

"Abarai-fukutaicho," said Raiden, entering the room without even glancing up. "I'm glad to see you're awake. I was beginning to grow concerned. The Sealing Stone's effects are often more damaging to those with more Reiryoku."

"You've found a means to take away Reiryoku," said Renji, hoping Raiden would offer more information about the weapon.

"Good guess," said Raiden, obliging, "although not entirely correct. The Stone temporarily removes Reiryoku, but it also restores it." He looked up from the pile of notes he had spread out on one of the tables and smiled at Renji. "The Stone was a serendipitous discovery I made while working on the problem of hollowfication with Aizen-taicho a few years ago. I never planned to use it, of course."

"You seemed to have changed your mind," observed Renji, raising an eyebrow.

"Only out of necessity," laughed Raiden, cynically. "I assumed I would be accompanying Aizen to Hueco Mundo. Apparently, he had other thoughts." Raiden held up a small instrument which looked a little like a compass, aiming it at Renji and then motioning to a man who sat at a table in the far corner of the room.

"Kazumi," said Raiden, "we will try your protocol today. Perhaps the results will be better with a different subject." The man in the corner sat up and walked over to Raiden. He was tall, muscular, with light brown hair and deep blue eyes. Renji figured he couldn't be more than nineteen or twenty, although he exuded the confidence of a much older, more experienced man.

"Raiden-sama," said Kazumi, taking the small instrument from Raiden, "perhaps the two shinigami could be persuaded to work with us in our efforts."

"In your dreams," said Renji, derisively.

"You see, Kazumi, there are some things that never change," said Raiden. "You are naïve if you believe that shinigami could ever want what we want. They are far too self-interested to grasp the larger picture. The only use for this one will be to assist us in refining the Stone."

"Refining it?" asked Renji, as he watched Raiden and Kazumi continue to move about the laboratory.

"The Stone's effects are temporary," said Raiden, as he scribbled something down on a piece of paper, picked up another instrument and made an adjustment to it. "My goal is to render the process permanent."

"Permanent? What do you intend to accomplish by making the Stone's effect permanent?" asked Renji.

"Of course, you already know the answer, don't you? Still, I'm happy to explain it to you while I prepare the experiment," said Raiden, smiling again. He clearly relished explaining his work to others.

"Shinigami have controlled the Soul Society for millennia. And yet, life for most souls here is miserable, pathetic. I intend to build a new society, where no soul can lord over another based solely upon the strength of their Reiryoku. I believed Aizen would create such a society," Raiden continued, his expression darkening with barely suppressed anger. "I was wrong to put my faith in a shinigami."

"We are ready, Raiden-sama," said Kazumi, handing Raiden a clipboard with several sheets of paper attached to it. "Here is the protocol." Raiden nodded and turned to Renji.

"I hope you have enjoyed our little discussion, Abarai-fukutaicho," said Raiden, smiling again. "It will be of little help to you or the Seireitei, however. You will not leave this place alive. In the meantime, I have need of _your_ help."

"My help?" asked Renji, curious.

"Yes," answered Raiden. "You see, I have encountered very few test subjects with even half as much spirit energy as you. I intend to take full advantage of your gifts, as well as your companion's, before I kill you both. That is, unless you die during the experiment itself." And, with that pronouncement, Raiden pulled the leather cord from underneath his clothing, revealing the stone which he had used to subdue Renji and Tatsuki. He glanced briefly at the clipboard, then took the stone in his hand and looked at Renji.

Renji felt a strange warmth spread over his body. It was a pleasant feeling, a familiar one, as well. _"He's giving me back my Reiryoku," _thought Renji, as he felt the strength return to his arms and legs. The dizziness was gone as well. Emboldened, Renji struggled against his bonds, trying to pull the shackles from the wall behind him. They would not budge.

Raiden fingered the stone again, and Renji felt a wave of dizziness come over him. He was ready this time, willing himself to remain conscious. "Excellent, Abarai-fukutaicho!" exclaimed Raiden. "You are far stronger than I gave you credit. We will make much faster progress if we do not have to wait for you to regain consciousness each time I repeat the protocol."

Kazumi picked up the compass-like device and held it up in front of Renji, jotting down notes as he did so. He nodded to Raiden, who again raised the Stone and looked at Renji. This time, Renji felt a slight burning sensation in his fingertips as his Reiryoku returned. His head began to pound painfully and he closed his eyes. This process was repeated three more times and each time, Renji found himself fighting harder and harder to stay alert. It was after Raiden had restored Renji's Reiryoku for the fourth time that Renji saw it: a large, furry creature with a snake head at the tip of its tail.

"_Zabimaru,"_ thought Renji, trying to focus his eyes on the zanpakuto spirit. _"Took you long enough."_

"_You are not fighting," said Zabimaru, looking at Renji with scorn. "Why then do you call me?"_

"_I need your strength for a different kind of battle," said Renji, as the spirit paced in front of where Renji stood, unseen by anyone else._

"_A battle without a zanpakuto?"_

"_Yes," answered Renji._

"_They seek to harm me, as well," said Zabimaru, walking around Raiden, evaluating him as he did so._

"_They want to destroy us both," said Renji._

"_Then I will win this battle," replied Zabimaru, head high. "Neither of us will die here."_

*********************************

It had been hours since Renji was taken away. _"What did Kazumi mean by 'other plans' for us?"_ wondered Tatsuki, sitting on the bed, waiting. The knowledge that Raiden had abducted souls from the Rukongai for experimentation had her fearing for Renji's safety. _"If they don't bring him back soon, I'll find him myself," _she thought, _"with or without my shinigami powers."_

The glass sitting on the table caught her eye, and she walked over and picked it up. She emptied the glass and then bent down and hit it against the stone floor. The glass shattered into a number of pieces, several of which were large enough to use as makeshift weapons. She placed these in the pocket of her shihakushou and then picked up the rest of the shards and hid them underneath the bed. As she did so, she heard a key turn in the door lock, and she quickly stood up, blocking the table.

Two men entered the room, while a third guarded the doorway. One of the men carried something over his shoulder: a body. He tossed it down onto the bed, nodded to the other two men, and all three turned and left, locking the door behind them. "Renji," said Tatsuki, moving to the bed. If was then she realized that she could _feel_ him again. _"He's alive," _she thought with relief,_ "and my powers are returning."_

She unfolded his body, which had been dumped unceremoniously on the bed, leaving his arms and legs bent at awkward angles. His breathing was ragged and, although she could see no physical wounds on his body, he was clearly very weak. _"What have they done to him?"_ She placed her hands on his face, hoping that some of her healing ability had returned, as well. She knew her healing technique, even at its best, could not completely heal him, but she hoped that it might help him to regain consciousness.

Ten minutes later, exhausted from her attempt to heal Renji, Tatsuki sat on the bed with her back against the wall, and lifted his head gently into her lap. His long red hair, freed from the high ponytail, fell about his face, and she found herself running her hands through it without thinking. It felt soft, silky, and it smelled of him, musky and masculine. She inhaled deeply. Hours passed as she sat there, watching him breathe. Finally, she fell asleep and, for the first time in nearly five years, she did not dream about the Rukongai or Kazumi. She awoke, hours later, having sensed a change in his reiatsu. She looked down at his face. His eyes were open, watching her.

"You okay?" she asked, her relief plain.

"Fine," he said, his voice weak, barely above a whisper.

"You look terrible, Renji," she said.

"It's tough being a lab rat, but I'm enjoying the attention I'm getting now," he said, grinning.

"What did they do to you?" she asked, her tone serious.

"They're trying to use the Sealing Stone to permanently remove Reiryoku. Raiden wants to use it on the Seireitei. He thought it would be fun to try his little toy out on someone with stronger spiritual energy."

She looked at him and sighed. It couldn't wait any longer; she needed to tell him the truth. "Renji, there's something you need to know." He looked at her with mild surprise; revelations were not her strong suit, he knew.

She was silent for a moment and looked away. Then, finding the strength to continue, she said, "Someone I used to know from the Rukongai…he's part of this. Kazumi. He came to see me when we were first captured."

"He's the reason you were crying, before, isn't he?" asked Renji. Tatsuki nodded. She could have stopped there – she knew he would not press her for details - but she felt he deserved to hear the entire story. It was a story she had never before shared.

"When I first arrived in the Soul Society," she said, "I felt compelled to find _someone. _I don't really understand it, but it was like the memories from my prior life were driving me to seek out this person."

Renji had heard about similar cases, all involving souls with stronger spirit energy. "_Who was she looking for?" _he wondered. _"Ichigo? Me?" _

"After a few weeks, though, I forgot who I was looking for," Tatsuki continued. "By then, all of the souls I had arrived with had already found places to live and new families. They had no room for me. I wandered around for months, alone, sleeping on the streets. That's when I found Kazumi. He was living by himself, too.

"Every night, he had horrible nightmares, and I would hold him until he fell asleep." Tatsuki closed her eyes briefly, and in her mind's eye, she could see Kazumi's face, wet with tears. "He wouldn't tell me what he dreamed about, although I guessed it had something to do with his life before the Soul Society." She sighed.

"We both had strong spirit energy," she said. "We used to practice some of the moves we'd heard about, pretending we were shinigami. A shinigami patrolling the Rukongai saw us practicing. He told me I should apply to the Academy, and I did..." Her voice trailed off as the pain of the memory returned. "I did everything I could to make sure Kazumi had a place to live, that he was fed and taken care of, and that he would have friends to play with when I was gone. I came back to the Rukongai every free day I had. He planned to apply for the Academy, and I was happy that we'd be together again." Tatsuki looked away, and her eyes filled with tears. "It wasn't enough."

"One day, I came home from the Academy and he was gone. I looked everywhere for him, but he wasn't in the Rukongai. Now I know where he went…" She looked down at Renji, his head still resting in her lap. He reached up and wiped a tear from her face.

"So you decided it was better not to feel anything than to feel the pain again," he said. He knew the feeling well. It had been the same for him when he lost his mother.

Her tears began to fall unimpeded, and she took his hand in hers. She no longer cared if he saw her cry; she could not stop the tears. Renji considered telling her that he had met Kazumi, that Kazumi appeared to be Raiden's second-in-command, and that he doubted there was much either of them could do to save Kazumi from himself. _"What good will telling her do?" _he thought, as he watched her cry. Instead, he said, "I'll be here, when you're ready, Tatsuki," and squeezed her hand with all the strength he could muster. They sat there in silence until Renji, weak and exhausted, fell asleep. Tatsuki watched him sleep for an hour or more, and then lay down next to him on the small bed. Soon she, too, fell asleep.

A few hours later, there was a soft knock on the door and Tatsuki jumped up out of the bed. Renji struggled to pull himself up to a sitting position. Kazumi stood in the doorway, Tatsuki's zanpakuto in his hand. He handed it to her.

"Why are you giving me this, Kazumi?" she asked, startled.

"You must leave here," he said. "Both of you. I do not want your deaths on my hands."


	11. Dead End

_"Higher than the question of our duration is the question of our deserving. Immortality will come to such as are fit for it, and he would be a great soul in future must be a great soul now." - Ralph Waldo Emerson _

Chapter Twelve: Dead End

"What's in this for you?" asked Renji, eyeing Kazumi skeptically.

"I do not wish to see Arisawa dead, and I am ready to leave this place for good," replied Kazumi, simply.

"Why bother helping me?" Renji asked. He was still not convinced - the kid was hiding something, he was sure of it.

"I care nothing for you, shinigami," answered Kazumi. "Arisawa, however, clearly _does _care for you. You will not survive continued experiments. In fact, I am amazed that you are still alive."

Renji looked at Tatsuki. "He's telling the truth," she said, slightly surprised herself.

"Arisawa, your powers have now completely returned. I can do nothing for him, however," said Kazumi, gesturing to Renji. "Even with the Sealing Stone, it would take some time for his powers to return."

"I'll be just fine," said Renji, bristling at the implication that he was useless to them. He was still suspicious of Kazumi, but he knew that a better opportunity to warn the Seireitei of Raiden's intentions might not present itself. It was a chance he was willing to take.

"Can you walk, shinigami?" asked Kazumi.

Renji got to his feet, swaying slightly, but refusing Tatsuki's help. "We need you to fight, Tatsuki. I can walk on my own," said Renji, shooting a glace at Kazumi.

Kazumi opened the door, and they followed him down the corridor, stepping over an unconscious guard as they went. "I was to bring you, Arisawa, for Raiden's next experiment," explained Kazumi, nodding to the guard. "My friend here could not be persuaded otherwise.

"There are only thirteen guards here at the moment," Kazumi continued, as they walked down the corridor. "The only one with any Reiatsu to speak of is Kin. The others are weak, Rukongai street fighters, with minimal spirit energy. They will be no match for your zanpakuto."

"Here," said Tatsuki, handing Renji the glass shards she had stashed in her pocket as they walked, "you may need these." He nodded, and put one in his pocket, holding the other out in front of him in anticipation of an attack. Weak as he was, Renji was still determined to fight.

As they reached the end of the corridor, they entered a large, open area where they found six of Raiden's guards heading towards where the prisoners had been kept. "Minoru, rise up!" shouted Tatsuki, releasing her zanpakuto. Minoru's blade glowed red as it changed into its trident form. Several of the guards backed away to avoid being hit by the transforming zanpakuto, but two with rudimentary spirit energy weapons stood their ground.

"I'll take these two," said Tatsuki. Renji and Kazumi moved to the sides of the corridor and Kazumi drew a blade from his pocket.

Tatsuki rotated the blade of her zanpakuto in circles, and flames flew from the tips of the blades towards the two men. One of the men dodged her attack by jumping out of the way, rolling onto the floor and getting back to his feet. The second man was slower, and the flames caught his shoulder as he tried to avoid the attack and he screamed in pain as the fire spread across his chest and surrounded him. The flames turned bright blue as they covered his entire body, consuming his weapon, which melted upon contact. The fire then contracted, leaving nothing but ashes behind. Several of the guards who had witnessed the attack retreated down the corridor in fear.

Tatsuki pointed her zanpakuto at the second man, but he instead aimed his weapon at Kazumi. A stream of blue energy issued from the guard's blade towards where Kazumi stood. Kazumi raised his blade and deflected the guard's attack, which rebounded and hit two of the guards, knocking them to the ground. "I am your opponent," snarled Tatsuki at the second man, and she raised her zanpakuto straight up over her head and twirled it deftly around. A ribbon of fire like a whip grew from the blade's tip, and she swung it in the direction of the guard who had tried to attack Kazumi. The fire snaked around the guard's spirit weapon, and then continued to travel up his arm and wrap itself around his chest. Tatsuki pulled back hard on the stream of fire, and the man flew into the air and landed with a resounding thud on the cold stone floor. At the same time, Renji moved towards the remaining two guards, grabbing a small stiletto from the body of one of the guards as he ran and pocketing the glass shard.

"You're too weak to fight, shinigami," yelled Kazumi from behind Renji. "Let me take these two."

"I can still fight," growled Renji, glaring at Kazumi. He lunged at one of the guards, who jumped back to avoid Renji's blade. Renji laughed and ran at the man, this time catching the side of his arm and leaving a deep cut, but the effort left Renji winded, and he tripped and fell against the wall, barely catching himself before he hit the ground. _"Damn," _he thought, _"I can barely move without falling over."_

Kazumi, using shunpo, reappeared behind the two men and neatly stabbed the injured man in the back. He fell forward onto the floor, Kazumi's blade still lodged in his back. Kazumi raised his hand towards the blade, and the blade shook slightly and then flew out of the man's back and into Kazumi's hand. The last guard turned and began to run down the corridor towards what appeared to be a large room. Kazumi threw his blade and it soared through the air, guided by Kazumi's reiatsu, and landed squarely between the guard's shoulder blades. The guard fell to the ground and did not move. Kazumi again raised his hand in the direction of the blade and it again returned to his fingers.

Renji slid down the wall of the corridor. Tatsuki sheathed her zanpakuto and ran over to him, putting his arm around her shoulder and lifting him up onto his feet. "I said you were too weak," said Kazumi, eyes narrowed. Renji ignored him and straightened up, forcing himself to stand and once again rejecting Tatsuki's assistance. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The three of them walked out through the corridor into a open cave area with stalactites and stalagmites scattered throughout. Within seconds, they were confronted by a second group of guards, men and women. There was a flash of light from what appeared to be a crudely-fashioned spirit weapon, and Renji, Tatsuki and Kazumi ducked behind a particularly large stalagmite which stood nearby. Bits of rock flew into the air.

"Stay here, Renji," said Tatsuki, standing up and moving to the side of the rock formation to get a better view of the fighters. Renji scowled but stayed where he was. "Kazumi," Tatsuki said, ducking down again to avoid another attack of spirit energy, "I'll distract them. You go around the back and see if you can take a few of them out using your blade." Kazumi nodded.

Tatsuki stood up and, using shunpo, maneuvered away from Renji and Kazumi and towards the side of the cave, which was less cluttered with rock formations. She raised her zanpakuto, releasing its shikai again, and shot a wide burst of flame in the direction of the four guards, who stood about forty feet away. At that distance, even the guards with no particular spirit power were able to easily escape the attack by backing away towards the other side of the cave. Kazumi, seeing his opening, vanished and reappeared behind the fighters, knocking one to the ground and grabbing a second by the shoulder and quickly stabbing him in the abdomen. The two remaining guards ran back behind a formation, barely missing another attack from Tatsuki. The flames hit the rock, blackening it.

Renji, sensing his opportunity, stood up and moved over to where Tatsuki stood. _"I'm not going to let her fight alone,"_ he thought. _"I'm not totally useless."_ He saw Kazumi move again, this time behind a formation about fifteen feet away from the two remaining guards. There was a flash of light again, and Tatsuki turned her blade to deflect the attack. One of the nearby stalactites fell to the ground, sending debris in all directions. One of the larger pieces of rock hit Kazumi hard on the shoulder, and he fell backwards, hitting the side of the cave. There was another flash of light, as a woman, holding a short sword, stepped out from behind a stalagmite and approached Tatsuki. Out of the corner of his eye, Renji saw a second figure approaching from behind Kazumi, holding a large rock over his head.

"No you don't!" yelled Renji, and he threw himself in between Kazumi and the guard, knocking the guard off his feet. Renji rolled onto the ground as the rock flew out of the guard's hands. The rock landed on Renji's leg. "Shit," growled Renji, pushing the rock off his leg. _"It's broken,"_ he thought, as he tried to move it. The pain was tolerable, but he knew he would be unable to walk without assistance.

The guard got up from the ground and turned to face Renji, who was now only feet away. He laughed, pulled a small knife from his belt and walked over to Renji. "Die, shinigami scum," he said, as he thrust the knife towards Renji's chest. Renji tried to move, but he wasn't fast enough. _"It's over," _he thought, as he watched the blade come closer. But, as Renji braced himself for the impact of the blade, the guard's eyes registered shock, and Renji saw blood drip from the man's mouth. Kazumi pulled his blade out of the guard's back, and the guard fell, sideways, onto the ground.

Renji looked up at Kazumi with surprise. "Thank you," he said. Kazumi opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, when there was a powerful explosion and bits of rock and dust rained over them. "Go help her," said Renji to Kazumi. Kazumi moved quickly next to where Tatsuki stood.

Tatsuki was having more trouble with the female guard than she had anticipated. The woman, although not formally trained, had strong Reiatsu, and was clearly an experienced street fighter. She moved quickly, and was able to easily dodge Tatsuki's attacks by hiding behind the scattered rock formations.

"Kazumi," she said, acknowledging his presence. "I need your help." He nodded, and disappeared, reappearing some twenty feet away from the remaining fighter so that the woman could see him. She moved to a spot behind yet another formation, covering herself from attack. Tatsuki saw her opening and, using shunpo, moved quickly behind the woman. She pointed Minoru at the guard and flames burst from its tip, hitting the blade of the woman's weapon. It glowed bright red. The woman screamed from the heat of the blade and dropped it onto the ground, where it broke into pieces. Kazumi, approaching from behind, hit the woman over the head and she slumped onto the ground. "Nice job," said Tatsuki, smiling at him. "Thanks." He nodded.

There was a low moan from over Tatsuki's shoulder: Renji, struggling to get up off the ground. "Renji," said Tatsuki, shunpoing over to him and giving him her shoulder for support, "are you okay?"

"Find Raiden and the Stone," he said, panting, "I'll catch up with you."

"You know damn well I'm not going to leave you here, Abarai," she said, scowling at him. Renji laughed. It was good to see her back to her old fighting self. "Kazumi, where to?" asked Tatsuki, satisfied that Renji wasn't going to fight her to stay.

"The laboratory is over there," he said, pointing to a rough opening in the cave. Renji and Tatsuki followed him, Tatsuki tightening her grip on her zanpakuto with her free arm. They slowly walked through the entrance and into the laboratory.

The first thing they saw as they entered the room was Raiden, standing about fifteen feet away from them. "Raiden-sama," said Kazumi quickly, pointing to Tatsuki, "use the Stone on her."


	12. Choice

_"The destiny of man is in his own soul" - Herodotus _

Chapter Twelve: Choice

"Bastard!" yelled Renji, lunging at Kazumi. "What the hell are you playing at?" Two strong arms grabbed Renji and tossed him to the floor. He landed hard, hitting his head against one of the many bookcases, and lay still.

Tatsuki, now livid, raised her zanpakuto to attack Raiden, but as she did so, he withdrew the stone from around his neck and pointed it at her. She stopped dead in her tracks as she was overcome by a wave of dizziness and nausea. She was feet away from Raiden, and she struggled desperately to reach him, even as the room continued to spin about her. _"I'm stronger than this," _she thought, fighting to stay conscious. _"I can still fight."_ But before she could make a move, she felt a large arm encircle her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. Her zanpakuto dissolved, as it had done before.

"Kazumi," said Raiden, putting away the Stone, "how convenient of you to find them and bring them to me. We wouldn't want them leaving, would we?"

"Of course not, Raiden-sama," said Kazumi.

"And how did you come to find them, Kazumi?" asked Raiden, clearly suspicious.

"They escaped by overpowering the guard that was delivering them food," said Kazumi, unfazed by Raiden's apparent distrust. "Knowing that I could not overpower the woman, I pretended to assist them in escaping."

"I see," said Raiden, stepping towards Tatsuki, and drawing a long dagger from his waist. "Then you will not mind if the woman dies first?" Tatsuki continued to struggle against Kin, who still held her by the throat. He tightened his grip on her neck, and she started to wheeze and gasp for air, unable to breathe.

"Kin," said Raiden, laughing, "that's not precisely what I had in mind for her death." Kin eased up slightly on Tatsuki's throat, and she gulped in air, fighting to stay conscious. Raiden turned to Kazumi. "You will kill her, Kazumi," he said, handing Kazumi the dagger.

"Of course, Raiden-sama," replied Kazumi, taking the dagger in his hand. Kazumi stepped between Raiden and Tatsuki. "I'm sorry," he said to Tatsuki, and her eyes registered shock. "I have no other choice."

He drew the dagger and aimed it at Tatsuki. But, as he moved his hand towards her, Kazumi turned around and aimed the dagger at Raiden's chest. Raiden, anticipating this move, grabbed Kazumi's wrist. "Kazumi," said Raiden, "you are a disappointment. And just when it appeared that your protocol might be the answer. Very unfortunate." Raiden turned to Kin. "Kill her," he said, "I'll take care of this one."

Kin tightened his hold of Tatsuki's neck, and she struggled as the room began to fade. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blurry figure move quickly from the floor – Renji, limping, but on his feet, holding one of the glass shards in his hand. He stabbed Raiden in his right side. It was not a mortal wound, but it took Raiden by surprise and he dropped the dagger on the ground. Kazumi retrieved the weapon from the floor and, without hesitation, plunged the dagger in Raiden's heart. The older man grasped the hilt of the dagger in his hands and stared in astonishment at Kazumi. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but instead, blood dripped from his lips. Then he swayed slightly and crumpled to the ground, dead. For a split second, the room was quiet, and no one moved. Then, many things happened at once.

"No!" yelled Kin, releasing Tatsuki, unsheathing his weapon and lunging at Kazumi. Tatsuki was knocked backwards several feet as Kin released her, and she struggled to grab Kin's shirt, hoping to slow him down. Kin, now within inches of striking Kazumi with his blade, tripped over something and fell, headfirst, with a growl onto the stone floor. Tatsuki looked down to see Renji lying on the ground; he had thrown himself under the big man, knocking him over. Kazumi pulled the dagger from Raiden's chest and thrust it into Kin's heart.

There was noise from behind them, and Tatsuki turned to see the remaining three guards approaching. She flew into the air and landed a hard kick on the side of the face of one of the men, knocking him unconscious. Kazumi, using Kido, aimed a concentrated burst of energy at the other two, a man and a woman, and they fell alongside their companion and lay, unmoving, on the ground.

"Nicely done," said Tatsuki, beaming. "Looks like you learned something from all that practicing years ago."

Kazumi smiled at her and walked back over to where Raiden and Kin lay. He pulled the dagger out of Kin's chest and wiped the blood off the blade. He then walked over to Raiden's body and put his hand inside the man's bloody shirt, pulling out the Sealing Stone, still attached to its leather cord. Kazumi yanked on the cord, breaking it, and placed the stone in his pocket.

Renji got to his feet, holding onto one of the tables for support. "You're not going to restore her powers?" he asked Kazumi, surprised.

"I don't think so," replied Kazumi, no longer smiling. He walked towards Tatsuki, still holding the dagger in his hand. "Arisawa," said Kazumi, "I owe you a great deal. You saved my life. You gave me a home. Still, there are things more important than gratitude. Greater things."

"I don't understand, Kazumi," said Tatsuki. "Raiden's dead. You can leave this place. This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"To leave? Yes. I told you the truth," replied Kazumi, his face unreadable.

"Then let's leave," she said.

"He never had any intention of leaving here with us, Tatsuki," said Renji. "He did all of this so he could steal the stone."

"No," said Tatsuki, uncomprehending. "He told me the truth."

"I told you only what you needed to hear, Arisawa," said Kazumi. "I never explained my motives for leaving."

"You're leaving with us, Kazumi," said Tatsuki, stubbornly, putting her hands on his shoulders. She fought the urge to shake him, hard.

"I'm sorry, Arisawa," replied Kazumi, his face now cold. "But if you do not let me leave, I will have to kill you."

"You won't do that," she said, standing her ground. The thought that he might actually try to harm her was so foreign that she did not even think to move. Kazumi shook his head and fingered the dagger.

"Tatsuki, get away from him!" yelled Renji, as Kazumi brought the dagger down towards Tatsuki's chest. With all the strength he had remaining, Renji launched himself between the two of them. There was a thud, as Renji hit the ground.

"Renji!" yelled Tatsuki, coming back to her senses. She ran over to where he lay on his side, his body bent at the waist. She rolled him over and saw it - the dagger - lodged in the upper right quadrant of his chest.

"Tatsuki," said Renji, from between clenched teeth, "don't let him escape with the Stone."

Kazumi laughed and turned to leave. "Stay with him, Arisawa," he said. "You love him. Stay with him like you didn't stay with me. If you stay, you might save his life." And, in a flash, he was gone, leaving her there, kneeling over Renji.

"Listen to me, Tatsuki," said Renji, as loud as he could. "Go after him. I'll be alright." She nodded and, without thinking, headed out the door through which Kazumi had disappeared.

Tatsuki ran, full speed, through the large room with the stalactites, and on out through the passageway that led to the surface. _"I will find him,"_ she thought. _"I'll bring him back."_ She could hear Kazumi's footsteps on the stone steps ahead of her; she was gaining ground.

"_Renji," _she thought, her pace slowing down slightly without her even realizing it. She could see him, lying there. She could hear Kazumi's voice in her head, 'You love him. If you stay, you might save his life.'

"I need to bring Kazumi back," she said out loud, trying to push the image of Renji from her mind. "That's what matters now." She began to run faster up the steps.

'Stay with him like you didn't stay with me,' Kazumi had said. _"But I couldn't have stayed with him forever," _she thought. _"He would have left on his own eventually. Aren't separation and loss a part of life?" _She ran faster now, her thighs burning from the effort. The physical pain did nothing to mask the pain she felt at Kazumi's betrayal, nor did it dull her fear of losing Renji.

And still she ran faster. _"You are always running, aren't you, Tatsuki?" _she thought, as she ran. _"You think you're running towards something, but you're really not. You're afraid. What will you do if you catch Kazumi? He's already lost to you. You gave him a home, and he chose to leave. And do you really think it will hurt less if Renji dies and you're not there?" _

"No," she said, stopping abruptly as her voice reverberated throughout the narrow passage. "Enough running. Time to choose."


	13. Truth and Consequences

_"Love (understood as the desire of good for another) is in fact so unnatural a phenomenon that it can scarcely repeat itself, the soul being unable to become virgin again and not having energy enough to cast itself out again into the ocean of another's soul." - James Joyce_

Chapter Thirteen: Truth and Consequences

It was far easier to run back down the steps. Tatsuki found Renji, still lying on the floor, weak, but alive. She located a blanket and wrapped him in it, careful not to dislodge the knife as she did so. Without her spirit power, there was little else Tatsuki could do for him on her own; she needed to get help quickly. She knew if Kazumi had removed the blade from Renji's chest, Renji would probably have died. It was small consolation.

"You shouldn't have come back," said Renji, but his eyes said otherwise, and he smiled at her.

"You told me you'd be here when I figured out what I wanted," she said. "I've made my choice. I'm done running, Renji. Now we just need to get you out of here."

"Isn't the guy supposed to rescue the girl?" he asked, grinning.

"I always hated those stories, Abarai. And shut up already, or you'll bleed more." She lifted him gently in her arms and began to walk, slowly this time, back to the passageway. She didn't mind carrying him. She was strong enough, even without her spirit powers. She had always been that strong.

It took her several hours, but she finally reached the mouth of the cave and, pushing aside the stone door, they emerged into a bright, sunlight sky. In the distance, she could hear voices, and she could sense them, shinigami. Her powers had begun to return. _"Thank God,"_ she thought, _"the butterfly made it through."_

****************************

Renji dove under the sheets. It was good to be back in his quarters, and even better to have company. He grabbed Tatsuki's arm and pulled her down onto the bed. "Hey," she said, laughing, "didn't Unohana-taicho tell you to take it easy when she released you from the Fourth?"

"I don't think she'd have a problem with this," he said, and rolled onto his side, grinning at her. "It's therapeutic."

"Like hell," said Tatsuki as he grabbed her around the waist. "What about the sake and the sushi?"

"Medicine," he said, seriously. "Good for the soul."

"I've got stronger stuff than that, if you're looking for medicine," she laughed, and sat on top of him, looking down. "I'm not sure you can handle it, though."

"Try me," he said, and she grabbed him and pulled his top off. She ran her fingers over the small scar on his chest. "Hmmm," he said, closing his eyes, "Unohana didn't touch me like that when she was healing me."

"I'm glad," laughed Tatsuki. "I'd hate to have to kill her." She bent down and kissed the scar. He pulled her down so that her head lay on his chest. "Your heart's pounding," she said.

"You seem to have that effect on me," he said, momentarily serious. She pushed herself up so that their faces were at the same level and kissed him. He grabbed her around the back and kissed her hard, rolling over so that he was now on top. "Gotcha," he laughed, taking her arms and pinning them over her head.

"You forget that my legs are lethal weapons, Abarai," she said, smiling up at him. He released her hands and opened her kimono top, kissing her neck and working his way down her chest. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Give up?" he asked. She laughed and they rolled over again as she tossed her top onto the floor.

"Like hell," she said, sitting on top of him again. "You?"

"Not a chance," he laughed, and he pulled her back down again. For a moment, he just held her there, and they were both silent. This time, when he closed his eyes, he saw her face. "I love you, Tatsuki," he whispered in her ear. She did not respond, but she did not pull away, either. He kissed her neck, her ears, and her face. He ran his hands across her back, over her arms. She felt incredible under his fingers - soft skin, hard muscle. The duality of her made him dizzy.

He swung her around and sat up, looking into her eyes. She reached on top of his head and pulled the cord that held his hair. Hair fell over his shoulders in cascades of what looked like red silk. She couldn't get enough of the feel of it between her fingers, and she put her face to his head and inhaled deeply. "You smell wonderful," she said, as she pulled him close to her and took another deep breath of him. He reached up and touched her face, running his fingertips over her eyes, nose, cheeks and, finally, her mouth. She took his hand and kissed his fingers, lingering over each one like a particularly tasty piece of sushi. They fell back onto the bed together this time, playfulness gone, and explored each other as they had never taken the time to before.

They made love all night and on into the early morning, and each time it was different – at times, tender, and at other times, a battle, ending in an uneasy truce. The change in their relationship was mirrored in their passion. What had been frenzied and untamed now had more depth of feeling, although it never lost its fire.

Now, as the first light of the sun entered through the window, Tatsuki rolled over. Renji felt the muscles in his face and neck grow tense. "I'm not leaving, Renji," she said, looking at him and picking up a blanket that had fallen onto the floor. "I promise." She smiled at him and, even without the benefit of her special ability, he knew she spoke the truth. She moved closer to him and lay on her side with her head resting on his chest. They lay there in silence for a long time, the only sound the birds chirping with the rising sun.

"How are you doing?" he finally asked, noticing the faraway look in her eyes.

"I'm okay," she said, putting his arms around him. "It's still hard to understand why Kazumi did what he did."

"It's not your fault, you know," Renji replied.

"I know," she said, sadly. "I just wish it could have been different. I guess sometimes you just have to let people go." Renji closed his eyes briefly and thought of his mother. "Any news about where he might have gone?"

"No," said Renji, "but they're looking for him. The Sealing Stone is too powerful a weapon to ignore."

She was silent for a moment, and then she said, "Renji?"

"Hmmm?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I love you." He smiled, and she could feel his heart beat faster.

"You know," she said, rolling over and looking into his eyes, "you never did tell me the truth about how you knew my name."

"No, I guess I never did," he said with a sigh.

"I'm not letting you off the hook this time, Abarai," she said. "You know something about my past life, don't you?" He was silent. "Please, Renji, I want to know. I _need_ to know."

"_You have to tell her, Abarai," _he thought. _"She deserves to know."_

"Okay," he said, finally. "I just hope you'll understand why I didn't tell you before." He felt her head move slightly against his chest.

"I'm not leaving, Renji. Please trust me," she said, laying her head back down on his chest and pulling him closer.

He hesitated for a moment and then said, "I knew you in the Real World, Tatsuki." He felt her inhale sharply at the shock of his words, but she did not move.

"You lived in Karakura," he said. "I was posted there, before the Winter War. Back then, Kurosaki-taicho was Kurosaki Ichigo. You were one of his best friends, and one of the strongest girls in Japan.

"I don't understand how it happened, but Ichigo became a shinigami when he met Rukia, Kuchiki-taicho. Somehow Ichigo's friends were transformed by his Reiatsu, including you. When I was sent to Karakura, you saw right through me. You confronted me, asked me who I was and what was happening, and I told you the truth. For years, I was convinced it was a mistake to have told you. Now, I'm not so sure it was a mistake."

"Why would it have been a mistake?" she asked.

"You insisted on fighting," he said, and there was true sadness in his voice. "You convinced me to train you, and I did. We trained every morning before school, and after school until late at night. It took nearly six months, but you were able to learn two kido spells. You even came up with a spell of your own. You still use it."

"'Purotekuto'," she said, and there was surprise in her voice. "I always wondered where that spell came from."

"We fought together. The Arrancar sent groups of low-level hollows to scout and test our strength. You were amazing, Tatsuki. But that last night…," he said, hesitating, "that last night, there were more of them. Stronger, too. You killed a hollow that night. I was so…proud of you."

"Renji," she said. "I need to know what happened. Tell me."

"One of the hollows that night was a Vasto Lorde, low-level, but amazingly strong. I tried to take him out with an attack, and failed miserably. He shot a Cero at me and you…you took the brunt of his attack and probably saved my life," he said, the memory still fresh in his mind.

"I died that night, didn't I?" she asked.

"Yes," said Renji. "I was with you when you died."

"You were the one who gave me Konso."

"Yes," he said. "It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do."

She said nothing, but rolled off his chest and sat up on the edge of the bed. Then, silently, she picked up her clothing from the floor and got dressed.

"You're leaving," he said, his voice dull with pain.

"I need time to think, Renji," she said. "Time alone." He knew he couldn't ask her to stay, even though he desperately wanted her to. She walked out of his quarters, closing the door behind her.

Renji sat there, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours. In reality, he knew, she had only been gone twenty or thirty minutes. _"She has a right to be angry,"_ he thought._ "I should have told her sooner."_ He lay in bed and watched the sunlight stream through the window. He could hear the sounds of the other Sixth Division shinigami outside.

Finally, he stood up and got dressed; it would do him no good to sit here and wait. He had to find her and ask her to forgive him. He would not lose her again. Heading out of the barracks onto the grounds, Renji passed shinigami who bowed and greeted him. He mechanically bowed back, acknowledging them by name. He rounded the last of the barracks and headed for the main office complex, when he ran straight into a tall man wearing a white haori. He looked up in time to see a blur of orange hair and feel the impact of a particularly strong fist against his chin.

"Damn you, Abarai," said Ichigo, his face red with anger. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you had found her?!"

**Author's Note****: Stay tuned for the last chapter and epilogue of "In the House of Tomorrow"! I will begin posting the first few chapters of the sequel to "Empathy" in the next week or two – expect Renji, Tatsuki and Kazumi to make appearances in that as yet unnamed story (in case you're curious as to what Kazumi is up to!). The main pairings will be HitsuKarin and IchiRuki.**


	14. Past Tense

_Never does the human soul appear so strong and noble as when it forgoes revenge and dares to forgive an injury." - Edwin Hubbel Chapin_

Chapter Fourteen: Past Tense

"What the hell is your problem, Kurosaki?" said Renji, rubbing his chin.

"_My_ problem is_ you_, Abarai," growled Ichigo, his face still flushed with anger. "How long have you known about Arisawa, and why the hell didn't you tell me you had found her?"

"Since when do I report to you, Kurosaki-taicho?" asked Renji, anger rising. "Last time I checked, you weren't my commanding officer." Ichigo punched him again. Renji's patience was wearing thin; he balled his hand into a fist and fought the urge to respond in kind.

"Dammit, Renji. You knew how I felt when she died," said Ichigo, "Now I find out you've known for months that she was here, that you've been screwing her…"

"You bastard," roared Renji, and, all self-control gone, he punched Ichigo hard in the eye. "You don't know anything about her, about us!" Ichigo pushed Renji hard, sending him flying back several feet. He hit the side of one of the nearby buildings and there was a sound of shattering glass from the window about Renji's head. Renji pulled his zanpakuto and Ichigo did the same. By this time, a group of Sixth Division shinigami had gathered around the two men, curious to see what the commotion was.

Ichigo and Renji ran at each other, and the clanking sounds of metal hitting metal reverberated throughout the Sixth Division courtyard. "I had a right to know she was here, Abarai," yelled Ichigo, swinging his zanpakuto again, "she was my best friend."

"You kept everything from her," shouted Renji, his face now nearly as red as his hair. "Is that what you call friendship? She had nowhere to turn to. She wanted to help, and you just pushed her away." He parried and the two men retreated several feet, only to lunge at each other again.

"So you helped her, didn't you?" snarled Ichigo, as the two zanpakutos met at the hilts. Ichigo and Renji, wrists touching, held each other a bay, their faces only inches apart from each other. "You helped her get herself killed."

A shadow of guilt registered on Renji's face, but he stood his ground. "I trained her to defend herself, Kurosaki. That's more than you ever did." Ichigo pushed hard against Renji's hand, and both men flew back several feet as dust rose in the air around them.

"So you think you can make up for her death now?" spat Ichigo, throwing himself at Renji again.

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" asked Renji, pulling his blade up to meet Ichigo's. Again, the sound of metal on metal rang out, and the two men repositioned themselves for the next attack. "That's it, isn't it?"

"You're a sick bastard, Abarai," said Ichigo, using Shunpo to maneuver behind Renji. Renji, anticipating the move, turned and met Ichigo's zanpakuto with his own and grabbing Ichigo's right arm with his left.

"You think I'm with her because I feel guilty about her death?" snarled Renji, twisting Ichigo's arm so that they were face to face, again.

"Yes," said Ichigo, watching Renji intently, "I do. You're reliving the past because you feel guilty. You're using her."

"You're wrong, Ichigo," said Renji, and he let go abruptly, planting Zabimaru in the ground between them.

Ichigo laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Don't bullshit me, Abarai," he said, eyes narrowed. "We all know you felt guilty when she died."

"You're right," replied Renji evenly. "I _did_ feel guilty when she died. I felt guilty for thirteen years; I blamed myself for her death. But I don't feel guilty anymore."

"Like hell," said Ichigo, scowling, but resting Zangetsu at his side.

"I know now that I did the right thing, thirteen years ago," Renji said. "It was what she wanted back then - to fight for her friends, just like you. She would have done it, with or without me."

"That still doesn't explain why you're sleeping with her," Ichigo said, glaring at Renji.

"I'm _with_ her because I love her," replied Renji, "for who she is now."

"You're just using her, Abarai," said Ichigo, unwilling to let it go.

"No, he's not," came a voice from behind them. "And even if he was using me, that'd be my problem, not yours, Kurosaki."

"Tatsuki," said Ichigo, astonished. Even knowing that she was here, in the Soul Society, had not prepared him for seeing her again.

"This is my life, Kurosaki," said Tatsuki, looking him in the eyes, "regardless of what happened before, in the Real World. This is who I am now." Ichigo said nothing, but the look on his face softened somewhat. "I've always wanted to know about what happened to me in the Real World," she continued, still looking at Ichigo. "I _needed_ to know what happened." She walked over and stood next to Renji. He looked at her, and she smiled at him. "When I died, I was looking for someone," she said softly to Renji, so that Ichigo could not hear. "That person was you, Renji. I'm sure of it now."

Tatsuki then turned back to Ichigo. "I'm not the same person you knew in the Real World, Kurosaki, at least not entirely," she said it forcefully, although there was no anger in her words. "I know myself, Kurosaki, and I don't need to remember what happened to know that I would have chosen to fight alongside my friends. And I don't need to remember what happened to know that I would have been happy to die to protect them. It was never Renji's choice to make. It wasn't yours to make, either. It was mine alone." Ichigo was silent.

Tatsuki turned to Renji and said, "Let's get out of here. I've had enough of the past for one day." Ichigo watched them leave, still too stunned to speak.


	15. Epilogue

**Author's Note: Thanks, as always, to all my readers, for the wonderful support you've given and continue to give me in my writing! I hope you'll check out my other stories, "Empathy" and "King's Key." In the next few weeks, I will be publishing a sequel which will draw from all of my stories, but especially "In the House" and "Empathy" and will feature IchiRuki and HitsuKarin.**

**Special thanks to some very special writers who have helped me with this piece - Whitecloud1, J'aime Manga, Saigo no Hajime and MatsuMama. You guys are the best!**

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_"You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams." –Kahlil Gibran _

Epilogue: Tomorrow

He was running late, again. At the last minute, a slightly jumpy new recruit had arrived in Renji's office with a pile of paperwork that Byakuya was unable to complete, Kuchiki-taicho having left early to attend a gala affair at the house of some noble family. "I'm so sorry, Abarai-fukutaicho, sir," she had stammered. "Kuchiki-taicho said you wouldn't mind finishing these for him. They're due tomorrow morning."

"_Wouldn't mind, like hell," _thought Renji, looking at the paperwork in disgust. Renji shot the new recruit a look of pure loathing, and she scurried out of the office as quickly as her legs would carry her. An hour later and he was finally finished. He tapped the papers on the desk and stood up to see Tatsuki, standing in the office doorway.

"I thought we were having dinner," she said with a grin. "You were supposed to come get me."

"Sorry. Last-minute paperwork, again," he growled. "I'm convinced Kuchiki-taicho does this to torture me."

"The Eleventh doesn't do paperwork anymore," she said, laughing at him. "The Captain-Commander got tired of having his staff glue the little bits of paper back together. That, and Kusajishi-fukutaicho keeps drawing pictures on everything in crayon."

"I definitely should have stayed at the Eleventh," said Renji, shaking his head.

The new recruit scurried back into Renji's office, bowing deeply. Renji thrust the pile of papers into her outstretched arms, narrowing his eyes at her. She practically squeaked, running out of his office in fear. "You really are evil, you know," laughed Tatsuki.

"You don't know the half of it," said Renji, grinning. Tatsuki kicked the door closed behind her and walked up to him, putting her arms around his neck.

"Show me," she said, pulling him against her and laughing again. "You're late anyhow."

*******************************

An hour later, they headed out of the Sixth and onto the street. It was a short walk to the restaurant. "Don't look so pathetic, you're always late, Abarai," Tatsuki said, sighing. "They'll forgive you."

"Nervous?" he asked, looking at her.

"Nah," she replied. "They're your friends, right? If they put up with you, they must be okay." He laughed and took her hand, leading her through the restaurant to a table in the back corner.

A man and a woman sat at the table, both wearing white haoris. "Sorry we're late," said Renji. "My fault." The two captains looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

"Kuchiki-taicho, Kurosaki-taicho, I'd like you to meet Arisawa Tatsuki, Twelfth Seat, Eleventh Division." Renji gestured to Tatsuki, who smiled and bowed. "Tatsuki, I'd like you to meet my friends, Ichigo and Rukia."

"Nice to meet you," said Tatsuki, grinning. "I've heard a lot about you."

FIN


	16. Sequel Preview Update!

Author's Note/Update: A number of readers requested that I update "Empathy" and "In the House of Tomorrow," to let folks know that I've published the sequel to those stories. I realized today that I forgot to update "In the House"! Sorry, guys! I do want to warn die-hard Renji/Tatsuki fans that they probably won't be making an appearance in Dragons, though, but a certain Kazumi and Sealing Stone definitely will!

I've included the Prologue from "Chasing Dragons," below, to give you all a taste of the new story. Thanks, as always, for your encouragement and support! I hope you enjoy the new adventure.

To read the entire story as it unfolds, please click on my Profile and click on the story link at the bottom of the page. Thanks! -Lex

**Chasing Dragons**

**Spoilers:**** Set approximately 14 years after the Winter War with Hueco Mundo and Aizen. Assumes knowledge of current manga plot line, mild spoilers.**

**Author's Note****: This story is a sequel to both "Empathy" and "In the House of Tomorrow." Although I'd love you to read those prior stories, you don't need to have read either to understand this one. All the necessary background will be recapped in this story as it unfolds. The plot follows the general history/character development in my three previous stories, including, "King's Key: The Four Prongs." **

**Pairings:**** This is first and foremost a HitsuXKarin love story, but it does also have some IchiXRuki adventure/romance, as well.**

**Disclaimers:**** The story is mine, but the characters belong to and are from the incredible imagination of the manga god Kubo Tite. I am in awe, Sensei.**

________________________________________________________________

**Chapter One - Prologue**

Two Weeks After the Battle at Karakura:

"_I found you once," said the dragon. "You were small, insignificant, barely worthy." He flicked his tail and the ground shook in response._

"_Who are you?" Hitsugaya asked. _

_The dragon exhaled and ice crystals formed in the air. "If you must ask," the ice dragon replied, "then you are undeserving of the answer. You must learn my name for yourself." He was a proud creature and slightly vain, but he could wait for the Guardian. He had waited before._

"_What are you?" asked the silver-haired man._

"_I am your strength," answered Hyorinmaru, opening his wings to their fullest, his head held high. "I am your past and your future."_

_**************************_

He awoke to the sound of rain pounding on the metal roof. It leaked down in spots, creating small rivers around the place where he had slept. The first light of morning had begun to turn the sky gray. It was cold, but he did not mind. The cold was comforting, familiar. A friend.

"_They're coming," _he thought, gathering his few belongings in a small drawstring bag. _"Time to move."_ He crept out the back of the building, looking around to see if he was being followed. They were still out there, watching him from a distance. He could hear them, almost sense their presence. _"If they'd wanted to kill me, I'd be dead already," _he thought. He headed back onto the road, where he felt more at ease.

He walked several miles before stopping by a stream. He washed his face in the icy water, melted snow from the mountains that towered above. He drank deeply, relishing the feel of the cold against his parched throat. It was then that he sensed it: something was different today. Someone else was following him. A woman, by the sound of her footsteps. Nearby.

"I know you're there," he said, turning around and looking towards a stand of pine trees, dripping with melted ice.

She stepped out from the trees and smiled at him. A tall woman with long, dark hair. Athletic and quite beautiful, wearing a pair of tattered jeans and a heavy sweater.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Why are you following me?"

"I'm Kurosaki Karin," she said. "I've been looking for you, Toushirou."


End file.
